shocks 1 of 2

noun

plural of shock
1
as in collisions
a forceful coming together of two things the whole railway platform shook from the shock of the two trains colliding

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2
as in astonishments
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

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shocks

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of shock
1
as in appalls
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

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2
as in surprises
to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected were shocked by the way the law against public intoxication was constantly being broken

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3
as in scares
to strike with fear the sudden appearance of the ghost shocked us to the core

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 shocks
Noun
Everyone loses, particularly the regular citizens of both countries involved, who face sometimes insurmountable shocks to their businesses. — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 31 Aug. 2026 Breman noted that price shocks stemming from the Middle East conflict have not fully dissipated. — CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026 Traders are overwhelmingly betting that the Fed will raise rates at least once over the next year, but Warsh’s view of inflation and whether it is being driven by one-off shocks or more persistent drivers is unclear. — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026 That motor sits in a basic tubular steel frame paired with telescopic front forks and a steel swingarm with twin rear shocks. — New Atlas, 28 Aug. 2026 Production shocks in one region can travel through interconnected food supply chains, contributing to shortages and price spikes elsewhere. — Shooka Bidarian, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 And the who, what and why of the vengeful spirit is the narrative pull of the play — along with the tense anticipation of more revelations, suspicions and shocks. — Frank Rizzo, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026 As biosphere integrity and land systems weaken, forests become less able to absorb shocks, recover from disturbance and provide reliable fiber. — Kari Stoever, Footwear News, 26 Aug. 2026 Under current law, the President has the flexibility to order a limited drawdown, releasing up to 30 million barrels over a 60-day period, to mitigate sudden supply shocks without declaring a full-scale national emergency. — Siddharth Misra, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
Verb
Vernon said deputies, in accordance with the sheriff’s usage policy, will have to justify additional time the glove shocks the person. — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2026 Nixon shocks Florida Democrats with primary upset Everything was stacked against the 32-year-old state legislator in a race establishment Democrats had hoped to make somewhat competitive this fall. — Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026 The crime shocks Miami Machado and Sierra, who had a history of domestic violence, split up shortly before the killings. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 17 Aug. 2026 All the regulars head inside, but then a loud boom shocks viewers. — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 23 July 2026 Finally, a mystical Rabbi arrives and shocks the king and queen by taking off all his clothing, getting under the table and crowing like a rooster. — Josh Penn Soskin, Variety, 16 July 2026 Jean-Marie Le Pen shocks France by reaching the presidential runoff, losing to Jacques Chirac in a landslide. — ABC News, 6 July 2026 What shocks her even more is that Laura Kim, a classmate at Columbia, got in. — Danielle Parker, CBS News, 30 June 2026 Dislocation from tariffs, onshoring, war, oil, and supply shocks present opportunities for dissident shareholders to show laggards the way. — Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 25 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shocks
  1. collisions
  2. astonishments
  3. horrifies
  4. surprises
  5. scares
  6. jolts
  7. amazes
  8. frightens
Noun
  • Katz described the operation as a deliberate effort to manufacture collisions and submit fraudulent claims.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The severe injuries were the kind doctors encounter in patients after high-speed collisions or other violent accidents that cause the brain to twist and slam inside one’s skull.
    — Blake Ellis, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of collisions
Noun
  • The Oscars, airing March 2 on ABC and streaming live on Hulu, will offer up kudos for some of these astonishments.
    — Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Feb. 2025
Definition of astonishments
Verb
  • Watching how the United States treats detainees horrifies many Canadians, said Julia Sande, an immigration attorney with Amnesty International.
    — Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 29 July 2026
  • Sunday was another game-long display of why Wembanyama horrifies opponents from either side of the ball.
    — James Jackson, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Definition of horrifies
Verb
  • Vintage Lighting Lighting is another one that surprises people, Gruver says.
    — Rachel Silva, Martha Stewart, 14 Aug. 2026
  • But the 'people's RV maker' often surprises with its annual Caravan Salon slate.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of surprises
Verb
  • Fly fishing taught me that forcing the outcome usually scares it away.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The unpredictable motion scares them off, startling them and throwing them off balance.
    — Molly Burford, Southern Living, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of scares
Noun
  • When James Graham’s play Ink premiered in London in 2017 and jumped to Broadway two years later, director Rupert Goold infused the drama with rollercoaster momentum, extravagant musical flourishes and jolts of bawdy low comedy.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Many reported the worst jolts to the head coming near the end.
    — Blake Ellis, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of jolts
Verb
  • 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
  • This technology still amazes me.
    — Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 8 June 2026
Definition of amazes
Verb
  • Penelope, too, is asked to occupy a landscape that frightens her, not only as a neurodivergent child in a neurotypical culture, but as a child now situated in an adult world.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2026
  • And for members who have a long history, who are used to running on that long history, that frightens them.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of frightens

Browse Nearby Words

shock jocks
shocks
shoddies
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Cite this Entry

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

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