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
  • Its laughs are more often born out of astonishment than intentional comic craft.
    — Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Or someone sees the light on in Rita’s room and their eyes meet for a second, from a distance, observing one another with astonishment.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 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
  • Samy Paul, a British tourist, described the shock of the impact to The Associated Press after being rescued from the Renfe train.
    — JOSEPH WILSON, Arkansas Online, 29 Oct. 2026
  • What readers are saying The comments express shock and concern over a recent train collision in Spain, highlighting issues with safety systems and the frequency of such accidents.
    — Victoria Bisset, Washington Post, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of shock
Noun
  • Let the surprise expand the conversation instead of ending it.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Last month, Sufjan Stevens made a surprise onstage appearance during Meg Lui’s show at Tempo in Kingston, New York.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 27 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.

Browse Nearby Words

startled
startlement
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Cite this Entry

“Startlement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/startlement. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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