as in to surprise
to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected
everyone was thunderstruck when she quit her job without warning
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thunderstrike
Verb
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His shocking appearance seemed to even surprise his castmates, who looked at him with wide eyes and open mouths.—
Raven Brunner,
PEOPLE,
18 May 2026 -
There’s deep, poetic honor in the grueling fight to rebuild a standard; to find the creative sparks and opportunism required to surprise the world again.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
18 May 2026
Verb
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The imposing tower never ceases to amaze local resident Ogden Driskill, whose family has ranched on the land at its base for generations.—
Marnie Hunter,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
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When Alexander Graham Bell demonstrated the telephone at America’s Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876, the invention amazed the crowd.—
David H. Hsu,
Fortune,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Fans and teammates of NASCAR star Kyle Busch are mourning his death, which shocked the sports world Thursday.—
Chase Jordan
May 22,
Charlotte Observer,
22 May 2026
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Coming from a religious upbringing, this idea of elitism deeply shocked me.—
Natalie Stoclet,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Verb
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Wild-eyed in a register that ranges from dreamy to terrified to stunned into submission, her performance is the most honestly felt thing here.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
18 May 2026
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Authorities discovered the bodies of a man who worked for Henry County, a woman and an infant in a McDonough home on Tuesday night, leaving the woman’s family devastated and the man’s coworkers within the county’s Department of Transportation stunned.—
Reed Williams,
AJC.com,
16 May 2026
Verb
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These insects and arachnids might startle you or send shivers down your spine, but there's no need to worry about these bugs—not too much, anyway.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
21 May 2026
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On one occasion, a suckerfish was captured disappearing into a manta ray's backside after a diver swimming nearby appeared to startle it.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
Verb
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The agents were astonished by how obvious Djena’s enslavement seemed to have been, and by the number of people who had failed to act.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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Nordstrom has really sweet jewelry pieces at not-astonishing price points.—
Gina Vaynshteyn,
StyleCaster,
29 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Thunderstrike.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thunderstrike. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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