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
Chris Maurice, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2025
During times of stress, sudden retail redemptions could force asset sales at discounts, triggering liquidity crunches and pricing shocks in what have generally been stable markets.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2025
Webb's crisp view shows HST-1 splitting into two distinct substructures with different emission properties, which is evidence of shocks and complex particle dynamics close to the black hole, the study notes.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 2 Oct. 2025
There were other shocks as Rachel sought to understand what had happened to Jon.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
Fans also claimed there were issues in reporting the seriousness of the situation to stewards, that the first defibrillator brought to treat Mark ran out of battery after two shocks and that there was a span of 20 minutes between his collapse and oxygen being provided.
—Steve Madeley, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2025
Finally, impact strength assesses a material’s ability to absorb sudden shocks without shattering, highlighting that the hardness alone doesn’t always mean toughness.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2025
And, oh, the thousand natural shocks that film is heir to!
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
According to new data from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), shocks caused by tariffs are pummeling Southeast and East Asia with ferocity, rivaled narrowly in impact by South Asia and the Pacific.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 22 Sep. 2025
Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
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
Noun
When payments depend on a handful of correspondent relationships, shocks in one jurisdiction can ripple worldwide—whether from sanctions, de-risking decisions, cybersecurity incidents, or compliance backlogs.
—Chris Maurice, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2025
During times of stress, sudden retail redemptions could force asset sales at discounts, triggering liquidity crunches and pricing shocks in what have generally been stable markets.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2025
Webb's crisp view shows HST-1 splitting into two distinct substructures with different emission properties, which is evidence of shocks and complex particle dynamics close to the black hole, the study notes.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 2 Oct. 2025
There were other shocks as Rachel sought to understand what had happened to Jon.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
Fans also claimed there were issues in reporting the seriousness of the situation to stewards, that the first defibrillator brought to treat Mark ran out of battery after two shocks and that there was a span of 20 minutes between his collapse and oxygen being provided.
—Steve Madeley, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2025
Finally, impact strength assesses a material’s ability to absorb sudden shocks without shattering, highlighting that the hardness alone doesn’t always mean toughness.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2025
And, oh, the thousand natural shocks that film is heir to!
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
According to new data from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), shocks caused by tariffs are pummeling Southeast and East Asia with ferocity, rivaled narrowly in impact by South Asia and the Pacific.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 22 Sep. 2025
Verb
These shocks land heavily on Hispanics, who are overrepresented in construction, service, and blue-collar work sensitive to inflation and policy disruptions.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
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
-
As a report from Gizmodo explains, this is the name given to the portion of the belt made up of asteroids small enough to be involved in frequent collisions and dynamical ejections.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Four pedestrians were killed in collisions last year in the city.—
Mara H. Gottfried,
Twin Cities,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Nothing surprises me anymore in football.—
Sam Joseph,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Respecting the medium often surprises me with the most rewarding outcomes.—
Caterina De Biasio,
Vogue,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
There’s something about kidnapping that scares the fear out of you, Goldberg-Polin says.—
Romina Ruiz-Goiriena,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
-
While the odor scares lots of people off, there are ways to minimize it.—
Grace McCarty,
Glamour,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Even within genre parameters, the director never takes the road well-traveled, offering jolts and marvels around every corner.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
30 Sep. 2025
-
No rattling wheels, no jolts, just a smooth, whisper-quiet ride.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Sep. 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
-
Within my book, one of the things that frightens me most is the fact that with censorship, there’s often not a clear red line, right?—
Fiction Non Fiction
October 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Oct. 2025
-
What specifically frightens you?—
Tim Brinkhof,
Big Think,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Wisconsin tribal officials are preparing for potential impacts from a federal government shutdown.—
Frank Vaisvilas,
jsonline.com,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The mass deployment of technologies that these minerals make possible—fleets of electric cars; flocks of wind turbines; a cleaner energy grid—may be imperative if our society is to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and thereby avoid the most devastating impacts of climate change.—
Scott W. Stern,
The Atlantic,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Continue reading … 'BEEN THROUGH THIS' – Michael Cohen stuns MSNBC panel with statement about James Comey indictment.—
,
FOXNews.com,
29 Sep. 2025
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Shocks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shocks. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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