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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The image quickly drew astonishment and amusement from Reddit users, who could not believe the apparent lack of awareness—or concern—by the neighbors responsible.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025 -
Moments later, to her astonishment, Ducky climbed onto the front seat and gave a clear, unmistakable alert.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Here, much to the amazement of onlookers, sacrificial animals such as bulls would drop dead after breathing in noxious carbon dioxide fumes swirling up from below.—
Barry Neild,
CNN Money,
27 Oct. 2025
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Much to Altshuler’s amazement, Time was willing to consider it, but not if the Newsweek cover was going forward.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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There is a deep sense of shock at the BBC over the events of the past 24 hours, but also of anger.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
10 Nov. 2025
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And the World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting countries with its operational framework for climate-resilient health systems, offering a blueprint for countries to use these funds to build health systems that can withstand and respond to climate shocks.—
Vanessa Kerry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Wall Street’s bar for positive surprises is also rising, analysts say.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
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When Democrats called a surprise redistricting session in early October, forcing her back to Richmond just as early voting ramped up, Earle-Sears barely mentioned it on the trail, beyond holding a press conference a week before the election.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Nov. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Startlement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/startlement. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.
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