1
as in collision
a forceful coming together of two things
the whole railway platform shook from the shock of the two trains colliding
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in astonishment
the state of being strongly impressed by something unexpected or unusual
were in shock after they heard the news of the death of the president
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to appal
to cause an unpleasant surprise for
Mom was shocked by the terrible news that her cousin had died in an accident I was shocked to find out that I was the victim of identity theft
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to surprise
to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected
were shocked by the way the law against public intoxication was constantly being broken
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to scare
to strike with fear
the sudden appearance of the ghost shocked us to the core
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shock
Briah Lumpkins, Charlotte Observer, 25 Mar. 2025
That shock triggered a financial crisis in the Soviet Union, which helped bring about its eventual collapse.
—Katya Soldak, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
Jacqueline Weiss, People.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Barth was shocked that the chef didn’t know — he’d been named a semifinalist for a prestigious James Beard Foundation award for Best Chef Midwest that morning.
—Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shock
Noun
The email left Fulton, Edwards and dozens of couples in shock and filled with questions.
—Briah Lumpkins, Charlotte Observer, 25 Mar. 2025
That shock triggered a financial crisis in the Soviet Union, which helped bring about its eventual collapse.
—Katya Soldak, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
Verb
Selena's murder shocked the music industry and those who followed the rising star from her early days performing as a young child with her older brother A.B. Quintanilla and sister Suzette Quintanilla in their family band Selena y Los Diños.
—Jacqueline Weiss, People.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Barth was shocked that the chef didn’t know — he’d been named a semifinalist for a prestigious James Beard Foundation award for Best Chef Midwest that morning.
—Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shock
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shock
Noun
-
At the time of January’s collision one controller was handling two positions, the National Transportation Safety Board noted.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
2 Apr. 2025
-
The asteroid is now logged as a harmless 0, meaning there’s no likelihood of a collision.—
Amanda Kooser,
Forbes.com,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Cooper went on to express astonishment at Brown's ability to shrug off the initial insecurity but, ten years after the initial buzz cut, the actress is no stranger to defending herself against critics who comment on her appearance.—
Shania Russell,
EW.com,
12 Mar. 2025
-
When a seemingly routine Oval Office press conference degenerated into a shouting match on 28 February, the world looked on in astonishment.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
7 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Jade King Carroll: Chisa creates characters and stories that continually surprise you.—
Jeryl Brunner,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
-
Financial and retirement experts who spoke to Newsweek were not surprised by the Transamerica findings, putting the blame largely on the ever-rising cost of living.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Education, management and enforcement needs to be re-evaluated so this type of transportation doesn’t continue to scare pedestrians.—
Jonathan Horwitz,
Orange County Register,
21 Mar. 2025
-
Possibly, those who spent a lot of time looking at all kinds of NPCs are harder to scare with imperfect 3D models of people.—
Victor Erukhimov,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Here’s one auction to watch if your car collection is in need of a jolt of electricity.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
31 Mar. 2025
-
Those types of plays transform the Bulls offense — cracking open a defensive setup, sending a jolt of discouragement through an opposing defender.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
To no one’s amazement, Shohei Ohtani homered triumphantly in the Tokyo Series.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Mar. 2025
-
To our collective amazement, the RGB LEDs were able to create wholly recognizable color images.—
Ryan Waniata,
WIRED,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Dismay or appall you, sure, but never surprise you.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Dec. 2024
-
That kind of appalls me to think that people need not expect that of themselves.—
David Marchese Photograph by Mamadi Doumbouya,
New York Times,
15 Feb. 2024
Verb
-
The science behind the process continues to amaze me.—
Janine Henni,
People.com,
21 Mar. 2025
-
Extraordinary craftsmanship that amazed even the architect.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes,
23 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shock. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.
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