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
-
Some looked stunned, others threw up their hands or clapped.—
Camila Gomez,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 May 2026
-
But within seconds of being knocked back, the responding officers were back up, checking on each other and evacuating stunned residents — including several children — from the rubble of the home, the video shows.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Nathan Lane, celebrated for Tony-winning comedic roles in ‘The Producers’ and other musicals, tackles Willy Loman in a casting choice that surprised some when the revival was announced.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
6 May 2026
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But Scott said he had been surprised by their resilience, with the majority in his tight community of around 90 blockchain and crypto entrepreneurs opting to stay despite the conflict.—
Kelsey Warner,
semafor.com,
6 May 2026
Adjective
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Padres season-ticket holders in the 300 level at Petco Park for four years, both were amazed by their baseball weekend.—
Ryan Finley,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Tito played and my father was amazed.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In 1997, the businessman shocked diplomats at a black-tie gala by announcing the donation of a staggering $1 billion to the United Nations to benefit programs aiding refugees and children.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
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Scott Gordon, chief of water enforcement for EPA’s regional office at the time, toured the site in 2000 and said he was shocked by how the industrial water found its path into the river, sometimes through gullies cut by the flow.—
DYLAN JACKSON,
ABC News,
6 May 2026
Adjective
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And so did a few astonished gasps when a drone shot revealed just how far outside of the Mojave tent her crowd of headbanging bodies stretched.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
17 Apr. 2026
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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
Verb
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The gunfire startled sleeping guests at the Citizen Hotel, which included a wedding party and fans of the rapper Tyler the Creator, who performed at a concert hours earlier.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
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Littrell walked up to the man, who appeared to be startled by the singer's presence.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
2 Apr. 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 8 May. 2026.
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