Thesaurus results for AMAZE

Q: How does the verb 'amaze' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of amaze are astonish , astound , flabbergast , and surprise . While all these words mean "to impress forcibly through unexpectedness," amaze suggests an effect of bewilderment. // amazed by the immense size of the place

Q: When would 'astonish' be a good substitute for 'amaze'?

The synonyms astonish and amaze are sometimes interchangeable, but astonish implies surprising so greatly as to seem incredible. // a discovery that astonished the world

Q: In what contexts can 'astound' take the place of 'amaze'?

The words astound and amaze can be used in similar contexts, but astound stresses the shock of astonishment. // too astounded to respond

Q: Where would 'flabbergast' be a reasonable alternative to 'amaze'?

The meanings of flabbergast and amaze largely overlap; however, flabbergast may suggest thorough astonishment and bewilderment or dismay. // flabbergasted by his angry refusal

Q: When could 'surprise' be used to replace 'amaze'?

While the synonyms surprise and amaze are close in meaning, surprise stresses causing an effect through being unexpected but not necessarily unusual or novel. // surprised to find them at home

amaze

verb

ə-ˈmāz

Definition of amaze

as in to surprise

to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected your ability to remember names and faces amazes me

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How does the verb amaze contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of amaze are astonish, astound, flabbergast, and surprise. While all these words mean "to impress forcibly through unexpectedness," amaze suggests an effect of bewilderment.

amazed by the immense size of the place

When would astonish be a good substitute for amaze?

The synonyms astonish and amaze are sometimes interchangeable, but astonish implies surprising so greatly as to seem incredible.

a discovery that astonished the world

In what contexts can astound take the place of amaze?

The words astound and amaze can be used in similar contexts, but astound stresses the shock of astonishment.

too astounded to respond

Where would flabbergast be a reasonable alternative to amaze?

The meanings of flabbergast and amaze largely overlap; however, flabbergast may suggest thorough astonishment and bewilderment or dismay.

flabbergasted by his angry refusal

When could surprise be used to replace amaze?

While the synonyms surprise and amaze are close in meaning, surprise stresses causing an effect through being unexpected but not necessarily unusual or novel.

surprised to find them at home

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of amaze But of the many falsehoods told by them, there was one which quite amazed me. — Agnes Callard, The New York Review of Books, 18 Aug. 2026 His greatness is never in question, but to have the league at a standstill because of a 41-year-old free agent amazes me. — Chris Branch, New York Times, 17 July 2026 Just before halftime, van Persie slipped past the Spanish defensive line to receive a long-range pass from teammate Daley Blind and looped the ball over Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas with a first-time diving header that amazed the audience. — Tushaar Kuthiala, Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 July 2026 For the majority of viewers who held out for the subscription streaming release rather than paying to rent or purchase, this news is amaze, amaze, amaze. — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for amaze

Recent Examples of Synonyms for amaze

Verb

Some Republicans aren’t surprised by the backseat role Musk has taken.

— Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2026
Viewers will be surprised by how many clues are in the first two episodes, Backo explains.

— Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of surprise

Verb

Regardless, attention is the tool by which artificial neural networks access and convey meaning, association, and context, often well enough to astonish us with their fluency.

— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 12 Oct. 2026
Less than a month after astonishing the world with its solution to the long-standing Navier-Stokes problem, OpenAI has released 722 maths papers, proving or disproving problems across numerous fields from algebraic geometry to number theory.

— Will Barker, TheWeek, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of astonish

Verb

View gallery - 7 images Chinese automotive giant BYD, now the world’s biggest electric vehicle (EV) maker, stunned this week’s Paris Motor Show with its grandest and most technologically impressive vehicle yet.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026
The man was arrested and sent to prison while Ali was in college, which left the actor stunned.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of stun

Verb

The couple had previously seen a single owl on an apartment windowsill a few days earlier and were shocked even then, Williams recalled.

— Joseph B. Frederick, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026
What shocked him was how unregulated—and unsophisticated—the rental market seemed.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of shock

Verb

The parents admit to some corporal punishment, but of a mild sort—the kind that might startle a child but which wouldn’t do bodily harm.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2026
However, startled by the activation of the security system, the suspect fled the scene without stealing any loot.

— Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of startle

Browse Nearby Words

amatory

amaze

amazed

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“Amaze.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/amaze. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of amaze

verb

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