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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The stunned sibling couldn’t believe his last words to Chris would be so ordinary, yet so profound in light of what happened.—
Emma Seiwell,
New York Daily News,
7 Mar. 2026
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The short film shows the singer walking through New York City in real time, playing his songs on subway cars and various spots around the city, and leaving a trail of stunned fans in his wake.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Hyatt said the project’s size surprised even those involved in producing it.—
Jane Horowitz,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
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However, in late fall, Oracle surprised the market by raising a significant amount of debt, fueling investor fears that its AI build-out would be costly and put pressure on its balance sheet.—
Seema Mody,
CNBC,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Liu, so amazed, emerges from the building with her phone out.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
11 Mar. 2026
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Patrick Michel, principal investigator of the European Space Agency’s follow-up Hera mission, which was launched in 2024 and will fly by the aftermath of the DART collision, was amazed that such a small difference in the orbits of both asteroids could even be measured.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Their parents are shocked to see the couple living their normal lives covered in cameras.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
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Nobody should be shocked that the expected is now coming to pass.—
Franklin Foer,
The Atlantic,
11 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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On one hole, a volunteer walked behind him and startled him, triggering panic.—
Gabby Herzig,
New York Times,
10 Mar. 2026
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Stock markets started Monday with significant losses as investors were startled by the spike in oil and gas prices.—
Jared Gans,
The Hill,
10 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 17 Mar. 2026.
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