1
as in collisions
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 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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in scares
to strike with fear
the sudden appearance of the ghost shocked us to the core
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shocks
USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
The move comes amid regional fallout in the Gulf amid the Iran war, which has triggered one of the worst oil shocks in history.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 28 Apr. 2026
Companies with agricultural supply chains — from food and beverage manufacturers to commodity traders, insurers, and logistics firms — absorb fertilizer shocks through input costs, contract failures, and sovereign credit risk in key sourcing markets.
—Carlos Alvarado Quesada, Fortune, 27 Apr. 2026
Dangote’s plant, which has shown how local processing can reduce the impact of such global shocks, has led to him being courted by East Africa to build a similar plant in Tanzania.
—Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 27 Apr. 2026
Though prices have climbed at a fast rate since the war started, there were similar market shocks in 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine.
—Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 27 Apr. 2026
These jets can help scientists better understand how black holes help shape galaxies and other cosmic structures through large-scale shocks and turbulence.
—Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
Waking up to a frozen account via a bank levy is one of the more jarring financial shocks a person can experience.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
Sometimes this process can play out over time, allowing people to adjust their purchasing or activities to dampen price shocks.
—Tibor Besedeš, The Conversation, 20 Apr. 2026
Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 25 Apr. 2026
When harvested, the roots are cut, which shocks the plant and can delay root reestablishment for several weeks.
—Ryan Bearss, The Conversation, 20 Apr. 2026
There are revelations aplenty, shocks too, and dozens of motel breakfasts, all in search of the holy grail, which, in most cases, is represented by a full scholarship to a Division 1 college or university.
—Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
As the energy shocks from the Iran war reverberate worldwide, countries like Egypt are left dealing with the consequences.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 14 Apr. 2026
Energy shocks in the 1970s were associated with global recessions and persistent inflationary pressures.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2026
His statement threatening to eradicate an entire civilization shocks the conscience and requires a decisive congressional response.
—Eric McDaniel, NPR, 7 Apr. 2026
Stabbing shocks Olathe community Officers responded around noon March 19 to the 1000 block of North Ridgeview Road after reports of an armed disurbance.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 24 Mar. 2026
Two years later, an eerily similar crime shocks the city—this time involving the son of Chief of Police Greg Lamar (Raymond-James).
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 20 Mar. 2026
Noun
The worry looming over the economy Earlier this month, Dimon had also warned in his shareholder letter that the war in Iran risks oil and commodity price shocks that could keep inflation sticky and push interest rates higher than the market now expects.
—USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
The move comes amid regional fallout in the Gulf amid the Iran war, which has triggered one of the worst oil shocks in history.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 28 Apr. 2026
Companies with agricultural supply chains — from food and beverage manufacturers to commodity traders, insurers, and logistics firms — absorb fertilizer shocks through input costs, contract failures, and sovereign credit risk in key sourcing markets.
—Carlos Alvarado Quesada, Fortune, 27 Apr. 2026
Dangote’s plant, which has shown how local processing can reduce the impact of such global shocks, has led to him being courted by East Africa to build a similar plant in Tanzania.
—Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 27 Apr. 2026
Though prices have climbed at a fast rate since the war started, there were similar market shocks in 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine.
—Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 27 Apr. 2026
These jets can help scientists better understand how black holes help shape galaxies and other cosmic structures through large-scale shocks and turbulence.
—Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
Waking up to a frozen account via a bank levy is one of the more jarring financial shocks a person can experience.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
Sometimes this process can play out over time, allowing people to adjust their purchasing or activities to dampen price shocks.
—Tibor Besedeš, The Conversation, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
Bubbles Didn’t Enter The Picture That Early In one of the moist unintentionally hilarious moments in the movie, Michael shocks his family by adopting a CGI baby chimpanzee named Bubbles sometime around 1979.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 25 Apr. 2026
When harvested, the roots are cut, which shocks the plant and can delay root reestablishment for several weeks.
—Ryan Bearss, The Conversation, 20 Apr. 2026
There are revelations aplenty, shocks too, and dozens of motel breakfasts, all in search of the holy grail, which, in most cases, is represented by a full scholarship to a Division 1 college or university.
—Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
As the energy shocks from the Iran war reverberate worldwide, countries like Egypt are left dealing with the consequences.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 14 Apr. 2026
Energy shocks in the 1970s were associated with global recessions and persistent inflationary pressures.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2026
His statement threatening to eradicate an entire civilization shocks the conscience and requires a decisive congressional response.
—Eric McDaniel, NPR, 7 Apr. 2026
Stabbing shocks Olathe community Officers responded around noon March 19 to the 1000 block of North Ridgeview Road after reports of an armed disurbance.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 24 Mar. 2026
Two years later, an eerily similar crime shocks the city—this time involving the son of Chief of Police Greg Lamar (Raymond-James).
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 20 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shocks
Noun
-
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has initiated multiple investigations into possible safety defects with Tesla's FSD, after several collisions, including a fatal 2023 crash.—
Robert Ferris,Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Block collisions need to be balanced with efficient play-arounds to create more tackle tries.—
The Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
25 Apr. 2026
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
Verb
-
The Shrivers’ lasting influence still surprises their children.—
Liz McNeil,
PEOPLE,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Nothing surprises you at Forest, but the Pereira situation feels relatively settled at present.—
David Ornstein,
New York Times,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The lobby is where the elderly owner scares children with tales of a witch who once haunted these grounds.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
30 Apr. 2026
-
And quite frankly, that scares me.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The jolts are muted, the setpieces are drab, and the gore is all too literally kept under wraps.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Then, as the pandemic waned, in 2023 and early ’24, came two jolts to the system – federal pandemic-era assistance ended, pulling food and food-related funding away from charities, and the number of people seeking food continued to grow.—
Andre Mouchard,
Oc Register,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
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
Verb
-
The second thing that strikes me more and actually amazes me is the fact that this is a story, a trope, that is repeated in most of the presentation of Agnes Pockels.—
Mariel Carr,
Scientific American,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Eva’s romance with her husband, Franklin Plaskett, delights and amazes her.—
Adelle Waldman,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The piercing sunlight frightens her.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Like the 1987 Kurt Vonnegut novel from which the restaurant took its name, Bluebeard encourages guests to drop their guard, surround themselves with other people and try something that frightens them a little.—
USA TODAY NETWORK,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shocks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shocks. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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