1
as in to daze
to make senseless or dizzy by a blow
a powerful uppercut to the jaw stunned the boxer and sent him crashing to the canvas
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2
as in to amaze
to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected
the news of their boss's termination stunned the staff
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of stun
One of my downstairs neighbors was stunned to see her inhale from an oxygen tank one moment and puff on a cigarette the next.
—
Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025
The Dallas Cowboys stunned the NFL world when it was announced that the team had chosen to move on from Mike McCarthy as head coach.
—Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025
Joao Fonseca of Brazil, 18, stunned No. 9 Andrey Rublev in straight sets in the first round after winning the Next Gen ATP Finals title last month in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
—Adam Zagoria, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
Watch the video above to see a cheerleader stunned when her school mascot turns out to be her mom!
—Terry Baddoo, USA TODAY, 13 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for stun 
Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025
The Dallas Cowboys stunned the NFL world when it was announced that the team had chosen to move on from Mike McCarthy as head coach.
—Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025
Joao Fonseca of Brazil, 18, stunned No. 9 Andrey Rublev in straight sets in the first round after winning the Next Gen ATP Finals title last month in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
—Adam Zagoria, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
Watch the video above to see a cheerleader stunned when her school mascot turns out to be her mom!
—Terry Baddoo, USA TODAY, 13 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for stun
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stun
Verb
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Some families sat on their luggage, appearing dazed.—
Melissa Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Jan. 2025
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Pastor Harris had sat scrunched in his truck, dazed as his boots filled with water and blood from the gashes in his shins.—
Eduardo Medina,
New York Times,
29 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Costco continues to amaze both with price and with entertainment and all my Costco’s are a blast to shop at.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
23 Jan. 2025
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Instead, the boy was creating short films using action figures, adding voice-over narration, and displaying a level of creativity that amazed his mother.—
J.M. Banks,
Kansas City Star,
17 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Its venom, potent enough to kill an elephant, is a cocktail of neurotoxins that can paralyze muscles and shut down vital systems in a matter of hours.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes,
23 Jan. 2025
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Travel was paralyzed along the Interstate 10 corridor with portions already receiving widespread snowfall totals of 3 to 6 inches.—
Karina Tsui,
CNN,
21 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Here are the 14 most shocking snubs and surprises from the 2025 Academy Awards shortlist.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
23 Jan. 2025
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Rogers told Fox News Digital that her husband surprised her on Christmas with tickets to Trump's inauguration.—
Sydney Borchers,
Fox News,
22 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Proof of that legacy comes with D’Angelo, Chaka Khan, George Clinton, Terry Lewis and Living Colour’s Vernon Reid attesting to the Family Stone’s massive popularity at the time over footage of the group rocking the stage.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
24 Jan. 2025
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Other performers were able to camp it up, in costume to cover ‘90s hits by Cher or the Spice Girls, but rocking it out with Carlile and the Hanseroth Twins headbanging behind her, Amanfu sounded as serious as a heart attack.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
23 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The revelation shocks everyone on the trip, leading Praveena to pack her bags and Juliana to break up with Yuri.—
Jordana Comiter,
People.com,
18 Jan. 2025
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Removing too much of the plant can shock it and stunt its growth.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Jan. 2025
Verb
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With snow and freezing weather hitting most states in the U.S. this past week, many have had to deal with icy and snowy commutes.—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
25 Jan. 2025
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Down 8-7 in a deciding tiebreak having been match point down in normal time, Keys hit an ace and an unreturned serve before claiming her own match point with a final big swing that Swiatek couldn’t return onto the court.—
Matthew Futterman,
The Athletic,
25 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The 72-year-old was startled awake about 3:30 a.m. Wednesday by his landlord banging on his door.—
Ben Poston,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Jan. 2025
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The warning prompted a flood of social media posts from residents startled awake by emergency alerts.—
Stephan Pechdimaldji,
Newsweek,
15 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Stun.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stun. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
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