as in stunned
affected with sudden and great wonder or surprise
the teen was thunderstruck when his parents told him he had been adopted
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in surprised
to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected
everyone was thunderstruck when she quit her job without warning
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of thunderstruck
Marin Independent Journal, Mercury News, 31 Dec. 2025
Adjective
The baseball-loving family members were thunderstruck at spotting the T206 Honus Wagner in the frame.
—Marin Independent Journal, Mercury News, 31 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thunderstruck
Adjective
-
The crowd erupted as Brady posed for photos, signed autographs and ripped packs alongside stunned fans.—
Andy Scholes,
CNN Money,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Bergsma was pretty stunned too.—
Howard Fendrich,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
When Mammen recently went to China, he was surprised by the pace of change.—
Noelle Harff,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Homelessness advocates and service providers said they were surprised by the figure, noting that the official Point-in-Time results have not yet been released.—
Theresa Clift,
Sacbee.com,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Fellow passengers were moved and amazed to witness a former president stuck in typical airport delays alongside them.—
Meg Kinnard,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Everybody was amazed that this year marked her first time performing on the Grammys.—
Paul Grein,
Billboard,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Although, clearly, no one would be shocked if the Metallica ends up adding many more dates.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
25 Feb. 2026
-
In fact, they were deeply shocked by one particular article, which seemed to imply that microplastics being deep inside the very structure of human bones was a bad thing.—
Stephanie Redmond,
New Yorker,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
One that draws more approving thumbs-ups, creates more astonished grins, or pulls more phones from pockets for impromptu photographs and video—especially in stunning Verde Ermes metallic paint.—
Michael Harley,
Forbes.com,
19 Jan. 2026
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Live, the 11-year-old actor shared his astonished reaction to getting the note.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Jordan and Lindo appeared startled by the incident but continued with their presentation.—
Yi-Jin Yu,
ABC News,
23 Feb. 2026
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Amid a years-long decline in the bee population that has startled scientists, experts are now warning that a growing industry is hurting native habitats and potentially leading to further die-offs.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
And she is just completely dumbstruck by that.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
5 Sep. 2025
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The parents at this kind of show, of course, are less dumbstruck than the kids: The card is not floating but instead swinging on some string.—
Joseph Vukov,
Chicago Tribune,
29 July 2024
Cite this Entry
“Thunderstruck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thunderstruck. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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