1
as in dazes
to make senseless or dizzy by a blow
a powerful uppercut to the jaw stunned the boxer and sent him crashing to the canvas
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in amazes
to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected
the news of their boss's termination stunned the staff
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stuns
Hyundai stuns with Atlas Hyundai showcased Atlas at CES in Las Vegas last month.
—
Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 2 Mar. 2026
Jimenez created this look using two coats of a bronzy pearl polish accented with subtle green glitter, resulting in a finish that stuns with its simplicity.
—Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 26 Feb. 2026
Executive producer and star of the film, Danielle Brooks, stuns with her performance as a mother trying to juggle it all and offers an honest portrayal of what happens when extenuating circumstances prevent closeness and warmth within a household.
—Dominique Fluker, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Nicole Kidman stuns in an orange ensemble while in Paris, as Diane Kruger and Norman Reedus have a rare date night at the Armani Privé show during Paris Fashion Week.
—Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
Trump's attack stuns the world.
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 7 Jan. 2026
RuPaul's Drag Race winner Bob the Drag Queen stuns in a first look at his Broadway debut.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Dec. 2025
And then there’s Emerald Greene (Nash-Betts), who stuns in bold jewel tones and beautiful hats.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 12 Nov. 2025
Take the quiz here … RETIREMENT PLEA – Chiefs coach's blunt message to Josh Allen after Bills victory stuns NFL fans.
—FOXNews.com, 4 Nov. 2025
Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 2 Mar. 2026
Jimenez created this look using two coats of a bronzy pearl polish accented with subtle green glitter, resulting in a finish that stuns with its simplicity.
—Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 26 Feb. 2026
Executive producer and star of the film, Danielle Brooks, stuns with her performance as a mother trying to juggle it all and offers an honest portrayal of what happens when extenuating circumstances prevent closeness and warmth within a household.
—Dominique Fluker, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Nicole Kidman stuns in an orange ensemble while in Paris, as Diane Kruger and Norman Reedus have a rare date night at the Armani Privé show during Paris Fashion Week.
—Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
Trump's attack stuns the world.
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 7 Jan. 2026
RuPaul's Drag Race winner Bob the Drag Queen stuns in a first look at his Broadway debut.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Dec. 2025
And then there’s Emerald Greene (Nash-Betts), who stuns in bold jewel tones and beautiful hats.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 12 Nov. 2025
Take the quiz here … RETIREMENT PLEA – Chiefs coach's blunt message to Josh Allen after Bills victory stuns NFL fans.
—FOXNews.com, 4 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stuns
Verb
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Eva’s romance with her husband, Franklin Plaskett, delights and amazes her.—
Adelle Waldman,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
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What amazes me is how good human beings can be in a crisis.—
Rachel Handler,
Vulture,
21 Nov. 2025
Verb
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No one rocks a short haircut quite like Halle Berry.—
Christina Perrier,
InStyle,
23 Feb. 2026
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Lawrence rocks this statement piece by pairing it with more casual items like a simple black tote bag, a beanie, and a pair of neutral colored pants.—
Caroline Hughes,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Historically, Citadel notes, productivity shocks lower marginal costs, expand output, and increase real income, acting as a complement to human labor rather than a strict substitute.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
28 Feb. 2026
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The scheme shocks their high-strung son Harold (Roberts), whose wife, Neha (Gill), is a local police officer.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Monster blizzard paralyzes Northeast with extreme snow, soaring power outages.—
,
FOXNews.com,
23 Feb. 2026
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For example, the curare plant poisons used by South and Central American hunters paralyzes the respiratory system.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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If hypotheticals about what could have been are a good dream for New York Knicks fans, then Mikal Bridges is the alarm clock that startles them awake.—
James L. Edwards III,
New York Times,
2 Mar. 2026
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The project, which Steinberger has rebranded multiple times—evolving from Clawdbot to Moltbot and finally to OpenClaw—largely owing to politics—has expanded at a pace that startles even seasoned AI experts.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The five teams scatter to their work stations, bemoaning the 92-degree heat (no one complains about the noisy vroom vroom of the racecar driving around, which surprises me), and get to work.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
3 Mar. 2026
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The interesting question is by how much, and whether one of them surprises us.—
Patrick Iversen,
New York Times,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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His work astonishes and moves people far beyond the fashion bubble to this day.—
WWD Staff,
Footwear News,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stuns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stuns. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
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