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
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Cabot immediately covered her face and turned away from the camera, while a stunned Byron ducked down and exited the frame.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
17 Mar. 2026
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Minnesota killing off a late-period penalty was about the only highlight for Wild fans, who went to the second intermission a bit stunned at the deficit facing their team.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In the investing space, the boss of the world’s biggest investor, Norges Bank Investment Management CEO Nicolai Tagen, told CNBC he was surprised by how muted the market action has been to the war, saying he is concerned by the long term impact of higher oil prices.—
Leonie Kidd,
CNBC,
18 Mar. 2026
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Of the 37 total nominees, 10 teachers and two principals will be named as Golden Apple Award winners and will be surprised with the honor during classroom visits on an unspecified date in the spring.—
Claire Murphy,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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This visual sleight of hand worked so well that sometimes even Gomez was amazed.—
Alex Morris,
Rolling Stone,
19 Mar. 2026
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Liu, so amazed, emerges from the building with her phone out.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Colleagues and fans were shocked — how could Zac sink so low, go mass commercial?—
Merle Ginsberg,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Mar. 2026
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Venezuela’s dominant pitching and timely hitting shocked the United States, 3-2, to capture the World Baseball Classic (WBC) title for the first time in team history.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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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
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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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The missiles startled an Israeli public that has endured comparatively few casualties in recent weeks thanks to the country’s formidable air defenses, frequently tested across many years by rockets from militant groups Hezbollah and Hamas.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
23 Mar. 2026
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When startled, silver carp can leap several feet out of the water and injure boaters.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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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 24 Mar. 2026.
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