as in astonishment
the state of being strongly impressed by something unexpected or unusual
the look of startlement in her eyes when she found herself at the wedding seated next to her ex-boyfriend
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for startlement
Noun
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There was a mix of astonishment and reservation in Kyiv on Wednesday — contrasted with bitter dismissal and some mocking defiance in Moscow — after President Donald Trump said Ukraine could reclaim all of its territory, a dramatic change in rhetoric on the war.—
Freddie Clayton,
NBC news,
24 Sep. 2025 -
Numerous Hollywood publicists, producers, media executives who spoke with CNN on Wednesday evening expressed their astonishment over the suspension.—
Elizabeth Wagmeister,
CNN Money,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
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When the initial wave of shock wore off this morning that Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson are touring as Rush next year, most fans turned their attention to who will be taking on the absurdly difficult task of replacing the late Neil Peart behind the kit.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
6 Oct. 2025
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Friends reacted in shock to the audacity of the man.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
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To her amazement, the twins’ dad answered.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
24 Sep. 2025
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Here fans of thrifting and the Starfield game shared their amazement.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
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That’s not exactly a surprise, considering Johnson’s latest outing is a specialty pic from A24, versus the sort of wide-appeal action movie The Rock is best known for.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Oct. 2025
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Countless artists got their start at the venue, including Taylor Swift, who makes a surprise appearance at the Bluebird to the audience's shock and delight.—
Janey Tracey,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Startlement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/startlement. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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