startlement

noun

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
  1. astonishment
  2. amazement
  3. shock
  4. surprise
Noun
  • Much commentary has consisted of expressions of astonishment.
    — Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
  • When Hinton quit in May 2023, AI was mostly a story of astonishment.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of astonishment
Noun
  • To the continued amazement of advantage players, casino operatives can argue with apparent conviction that card counting— essentially mental arithmetic—is a form of fraud.
    — Kit Chellel, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
  • No harsh chemicals for her, much to the amazement and envy of her Ghanaian classmates.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of amazement
Noun
  • While Pope Leo's lung cancer diagnosis may have come as a shock to Catholics this week, the prognosis is likely a lot less scary.
    — Scott Detrow, NPR, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The initial shock of this freak accident is well-handled, notably when Jay tries to scramble up the whale’s jawline by climbing its teeth.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of shock
Noun
  • There were some surprises in the rankings, too, with the Fendi Spy bag seeing a 127 percent spike in average resale value amid this year’s Y2K revival.
    — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Each episode, as Banijay Friends & Family notes, is told with a warm blend of humor and surprise.
    — John Hopewell, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of surprise
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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startled
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Cite this Entry

“Startlement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/startlement. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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