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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Johansson even joked in her musical monologue that castmember Sarah Sherman was leaving, to Sherman's mock astonishment.—
Eric Deggans,
NPR,
18 May 2025 -
In a perfect world for Robertson, the astonishment and bewilderment Knies had at Robertson’s game would be enough to push Robertson into the playoffs.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The majority of those injured at Soroka were hurt while seeking shelter or suffered from shock.—
Amanda Castro
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 June 2025
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In the age of Trump’s global tariffs, Beijing is unleashing an export shock across the globe.—
Kristina Karisch,
The Hill,
19 June 2025
Noun
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Then, to my utter amazement, four geese tumbled one by one out of the line-stone dead, not even a kicker.—
Nash Buckingham,
Outdoor Life,
19 June 2025
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Within three weeks, to Akasha’s amazement, Shimshai was up to 40 orders a day.—
Andy Greenberg,
Wired News,
22 May 2025
Noun
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The Blue Jackets, who added veteran forwards Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood earlier in the day, selected defenseman Jackson Smith with the No. 14 overall pick and — in a surprise to many — goaltender Pyotr Andreyanov with the No. 20 overall pick.—
Aaron Portzline,
New York Times,
28 June 2025
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Studies using fMRI scans show that when people experience a good magic trick, areas in the brain linked to conflict detection and surprise—like the anterior cingulate cortex and prefrontal cortex—light up.—
Tony Bradley,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Startlement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/startlement. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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