1
as in collisions
a forceful coming together of two things
the whole railway platform shook from the shock of the two trains colliding
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in astonishments
the state of being strongly impressed by something unexpected or unusual
were in shock after they heard the news of the death of the president
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in appalls
to cause an unpleasant surprise for
Mom was shocked by the terrible news that her cousin had died in an accident I was shocked to find out that I was the victim of identity theft
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in surprises
to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected
were shocked by the way the law against public intoxication was constantly being broken
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in scares
to strike with fear
the sudden appearance of the ghost shocked us to the core
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shocks
Christina Newland, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
With houses built mostly of dry masonry, stone, and timber, some families preferred to stay in the open to guard against shocks, rather than return home.
—Mohammad Yunus Yawar, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
Controls included a handful of physical controls for volume, fan temperature, exhaust mode, adjustable shocks, and more in the center stack.
—Mark Phelan, Freep.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Reforming and eventually transitioning away from LIHTC must be at the top of the agenda if the country wants to move toward housing abundance and away from price shocks and housing inflation.
—Roger Valdez, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
One silver lining Goldman found is that positioning remains historically modest, which can keep any market dips light as long as fundamental shocks can be avoided.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2025
After the shocks to our economy because of COVID-19, supply chain issues, and rapidly changing technology, the instability rocking Main Street is causing prices to climb even higher.
—Derek Tran, Oc Register, 1 Sep. 2025
Katie Rife, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2025
Someone may step up in a way that shocks you, or someone may fade out just as quickly.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 31 Aug. 2025
The sight shocks him out of his reverie.
—Roy Scranton
august 20, Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2025
This genuinely shocks the robot, who had speculated there had to be a third party involved in the Empire-Foundation conflict but didn’t even think of Foundation having a backup plan.
—Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 15 Aug. 2025
Instead, Demerzel shocks her with an unexpected appearance, and the stage is set.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Noun
The sunbathers of sleepy Amity Bay are helpless against the unexpected great white shark that hunts their coasts; Spielberg’s talent for suspense, effective horror shocks, and ingenious reinvention of the classic animal-attack movie remain as impressive as ever.
—Christina Newland, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
With houses built mostly of dry masonry, stone, and timber, some families preferred to stay in the open to guard against shocks, rather than return home.
—Mohammad Yunus Yawar, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
Controls included a handful of physical controls for volume, fan temperature, exhaust mode, adjustable shocks, and more in the center stack.
—Mark Phelan, Freep.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Reforming and eventually transitioning away from LIHTC must be at the top of the agenda if the country wants to move toward housing abundance and away from price shocks and housing inflation.
—Roger Valdez, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
One silver lining Goldman found is that positioning remains historically modest, which can keep any market dips light as long as fundamental shocks can be avoided.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2025
After the shocks to our economy because of COVID-19, supply chain issues, and rapidly changing technology, the instability rocking Main Street is causing prices to climb even higher.
—Derek Tran, Oc Register, 1 Sep. 2025
Verb
The elder Hall’s indifference toward his son’s life shocks even his captor, prompting a bonding moment that softens the viewer’s perceptions of both men.
—Katie Rife, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2025
Someone may step up in a way that shocks you, or someone may fade out just as quickly.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 31 Aug. 2025
The sight shocks him out of his reverie.
—Roy Scranton
august 20, Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2025
This genuinely shocks the robot, who had speculated there had to be a third party involved in the Empire-Foundation conflict but didn’t even think of Foundation having a backup plan.
—Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 15 Aug. 2025
Instead, Demerzel shocks her with an unexpected appearance, and the stage is set.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shocks
Noun
-
With no special-case engineering and new data, Helix can recover gracefully from mishandling or collisions.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Sep. 2025
-
The observations suggest that Mars' mantle still bears physical scars from a tumultuous early history marked by numerous protoplanetary collisions.—
Theo Burman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
If that surprises you, don’t feel alarmed.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Possibly, a relative, neighbor or daily contact will do something that surprises you.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But for both actors, their horror movies are more about love than scares.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Slurp scares, and is scared, at the Haunted Hacienda in Pilgrim World.—
Jessica M. Goldstein,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Every so often, a collab comes along that jolts luxury out of autopilot — reminding us with gratitude that the industry isn’t stuck on repeat.—
Jeetendr Sehdev,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
-
New York’s season has also had its many jolts and flips.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
What amazes me is how the same film sparks such different conversations, depending on the room.—
Eitan Weiss,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Remus, who is now 5, amazes his family by reading books on his own, a development which Whittenburg attributes in part to the Imagination Library.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Many of us are conditioned to think that our ultimate goal in life is to be with someone, so much so, that the mere thought of being alone frightens us.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
From Silicon Valley to Ely and East Last Vegas, our communities have seen the impacts of decades of cuts to public education.—
Erica Mosca,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Finally, Hunter-Cooper published a 2023 study which found that hot yoga sessions lower blood pressure and reduce the negative impacts of a high sodium diet among participants.—
Lauren Leffer,
Popular Science,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Chamarel, Mauritius Spilling across the volcanic hills of southwest Mauritius, Chamarel stuns with its terrain—Seven Coloured Earth ripples in bands of violet, ochre, and rust, shifting under the tropical sun like a living canvas.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
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The 75-inch Roku Pro Series is a massive 4K television that stuns with vibrant colors, hands-free voice control, and a $701 discount.—
Shubham Yewale,
PC Magazine,
8 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shocks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shocks. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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