as in surprises
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 thunderstrikes
Verb
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Jake Oettinger of the @DallasStars surprises an @AmericanAir flight!—
SportsDay Staff,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Mar. 2026 -
Technology that feels upscale Where the Trax truly surprises is in its cabin technology.—
Sponsored Content,
Denver Post,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The second thing that strikes me more and actually amazes me is the fact that this is a story, a trope, that is repeated in most of the presentation of Agnes Pockels.—
Mariel Carr,
Scientific American,
20 Mar. 2026
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Eva’s romance with her husband, Franklin Plaskett, delights and amazes her.—
Adelle Waldman,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Stabbing shocks Olathe community Officers responded around noon March 19 to the 1000 block of North Ridgeview Road after reports of an armed disurbance.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
24 Mar. 2026
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Two years later, an eerily similar crime shocks the city—this time involving the son of Chief of Police Greg Lamar (Raymond-James).—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This trail stuns in either direction, but beginning at Clark Forks cuts elevation gain by nearly 2,000 feet.—
Madison Chapman,
Outside,
25 Mar. 2026
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Hyundai stuns with Atlas Hyundai showcased Atlas at CES in Las Vegas last month.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Mar. 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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Project supervisor Eva Stratt (Sandra Hüller) also rocks a lot of knitted sweaters, visually positioning her away from the Ice Queen/Girlboss cliches the film wants to avoid.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
27 Mar. 2026
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Exclusively for Idaho Statesman readers, Gilbert has highlighted 35 acts to see at the annual event, which rocks multiple venues Wednesday through Sunday.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
25 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
Verb
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The order in which those balls were plucked out of those bowls over the next few minutes would determine the World Cup matchups in June–and the psychological state of so many soccer fans.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
5 Dec. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Thunderstrikes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thunderstrikes. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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