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thunderstrike

verb

ˈthən-dər-ˌstrīk How to pronounce thunderstrike (audio)
Definition of thunderstrikenext
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
  1. surprise
  2. amaze
  3. shock
  4. stun
  5. startle
  6. astonish
Verb
  • Woody‘s and Matthew’s personas, which is to also say those of Harrelson and McConaughey, are too well established, their personalities too big to surprise you, however bad things might turn.
    — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Read the contract as closely as the brochure, and none of it will surprise you.
    — Kevin Henneman, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of surprise
Verb
  • And especially with the stock market—I’m amazed the stock market still hasn’t really taken the hit.
    — Victoria Feng, The Atlantic, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Perhaps what amazed me the most was the breadth and the depth to which a general American public seemed to be at a tipping point around the exorbitant cost of health care and how cavernous the gap is between the one percent and the 99 percent.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of amaze
Verb
  • Fans are shocked at how badly the rebuilding Dolphins have looked in their first two games.
    — Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Other people who knew Campbell Ortiz from her nightclub work were equally shocked by her death.
    — Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of shock
Verb
  • Sabrina Carpenter stunned in a pantsless look at the 2026 MTV VMAs on September 27.
    — Christina Perrier, InStyle, 28 Sep. 2026
  • André Luiz and Calvin Harris scored first-half goals to back the first career clean sheet from Stefan Cleveland and Sporting Kansas City stunned the Houston Dynamo 2-0 on Saturday night.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of stun
Verb
  • As if triggered by this thought, the door buzzed itself open, startling the pigeons from wire to wing, a grand scattering.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Their approach startled the predator, who took off with the mother godwit in its claws.
    — Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of startle
Verb
  • The astonished looks on his team-mates’ faces would underline that fact.
    — Beren Cross, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The crowd in the picture was equally astonished while the event unfolded.
    — Monisha Ravisetti, Space.com, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of astonish
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

thunderstorms
thunderstrike
thunderstrikes
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Thunderstrike.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thunderstrike. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

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