Thesaurus results for ROCKED

rocked

verb

past tense of rock

as in lurched

to make a series of unsteady side-to-side motions the boat was rocking so much that several passengers felt seasick

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as in faltered

to swing unsteadily back and forth or from side to side the drunk rocked on his heels for a moment and then fell flat on his back

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as in stunned

to make senseless or dizzy by a blow she rocked the mugger with a single punch and then ran

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as in surprised

to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected the news of the mayor's sudden death rocked the city

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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 rocked Earlier this year, Iran was rocked by widespread anti-government protests. — Mick Krever, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026 North Carolina was rocked in head coach Bill Belichick's first game at the helm. — David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026 Kelly, 41, rocked a sheer lace dress with short sleeves, pairing it with matching socks. — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 28 Aug. 2026 Playing in a seedy Bowery bar to a small group of fellow struggling musicians, the band struck a chord of disharmony that rocked the foundation of the mid-seventies music scene. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026 Guardians starter Gavin Williams was rocked for five runs and six hits in 1 1/3 innings, his shortest start this season. — Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026 The biopic rocked the box office this summer, surpassing $1 billion in global ticket sales. — Isabelle Farina, Variety, 20 Aug. 2026 This week, the British academy was rocked by a scandal that curdled into a tragedy. — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026 As intense storms rocked Kansas City, Kansas, in the early hours of Wednesday, the corner of a church building collapsed in the Quindaro neighborhood. — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 19 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rocked

Verb

The airplane lurched skyward, and Elwood was strapped in for the ride.

— Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
Markets have lurched up and down as oil prices shot higher because of the war with Iran.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of lurched

Verb

Wednesday’s ugly loss, in which Yoshinobu Yamamoto faltered after a strong start and the Dodgers crumbled late despite taking a 3-0 first-inning lead, was the latest example.

— Joaquin Ruiz, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
In the rest of the state, Graham prevailed — including in the Charleston area, where former governor and congressman Mark Sanford endorsed Norman after his own Senate campaign faltered.

— David Weigel, semafor.com, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of faltered

Verb

Bruce Springsteen surprised the coastal crowd during Bleachers‘ show in Asbury Park to deliver a pair of nostalgic Jersey-centric songs on Friday night.

— Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 29 Aug. 2026
In this time, Lamb surprised some people by voting to ordain Gene Robinson, a gay man, as bishop in 2003.

— Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of surprised

Verb

With the challenges of supply chains and higher prices on retailers’ hands, shoppers are highly attuned to these considerations and can be swayed by retailers who demonstrate their ability to deliver on time and as promised.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026
Throughout the performances, River had her arm around Remy as the siblings swayed, clapped and whooped for their mom.

— Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of swayed

Verb

The offence that shook baseball in October appeared again, leading the Jays to their second-largest margin of victory this year in an 11-0 win against the Cleveland Guardians.

— Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Several heavy explosions shook Kuhestak, with fireballs that lighted up the night sky, according to security camera recordings carried by the semiofficial news agency Fars.

— David Rising, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of shook

Verb

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
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

Definition of amazed

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rock bottoms

rocked

rocker

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“Rocked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rocked. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of rocked

verb

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