1
as in amazement
the rapt attention and deep emotion caused by the sight of something extraordinary
the Midwesterner's astonishment at seeing the ocean for the first time
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shock
the state of being strongly impressed by something unexpected or unusual
the suddenness of the thunderstorm left the picnickers in a state of astonishment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of astonishment
To Jin’s astonishment, the sphere darted through the inner courtyard around to the entranceway and then directly out the main gate.
—
Lizz Schumer, People.com, 6 May 2025
To her astonishment, the only entry inside was dated the day of the 9/11 attacks.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025
Our initial astonishment at the prospect of extraterrestrial visitation warrants closer scrutiny.
—David Chauvet, JSTOR Daily, 26 Mar. 2025
This article aims to challenge this prevailing sense of astonishment.
—David Chauvet, JSTOR Daily, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for astonishment
Lizz Schumer, People.com, 6 May 2025
To her astonishment, the only entry inside was dated the day of the 9/11 attacks.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025
Our initial astonishment at the prospect of extraterrestrial visitation warrants closer scrutiny.
—David Chauvet, JSTOR Daily, 26 Mar. 2025
This article aims to challenge this prevailing sense of astonishment.
—David Chauvet, JSTOR Daily, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for astonishment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for astonishment
Noun
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As everyone, including Pagán and his teammates, watches the 26-year-old in amazement, the only person who doesn’t seem surprised is Benson himself.—
C. Trent Rosecrans,
New York Times,
19 May 2025
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While speaking with The Hollywood Reporter for the 2025 Met Gala, the Sinners director and his wife and co-producer on the project discussed their amazement over the box office success of the vampire thriller.—
Sharareh Drury,
People.com,
6 May 2025
Noun
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Investors have learned to position themselves for both the initial shock of aggressive announcements and the subsequent backpedaling that typically follows.—
Robert Daugherty,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
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Narrating what happened with the boy in the autopsy room turned out to be wholly different from experiencing it; the riptide shock of that moment slowed to a largo of painful excavation.—
Danielle Ofri,
New Yorker,
7 June 2025
Noun
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The president’s support of Ukraine has been in question since before his reelection because of his vocal admiration for Putin — and after publicly shouting at Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his visit to the White House in February.—
Sam Gillette,
People.com,
5 June 2025
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His admiration for strongmen such as Putin, China’s Xi Jinping and El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele alarms observers.—
Daniel Treisman,
The Conversation,
3 June 2025
Noun
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Kyiv officials said their surprise drone attack Sunday damaged or destroyed more than 40 warplanes at air bases deep inside Russia, including the remote Arctic, Siberian and Far East regions more than 4,300 miles from Ukraine.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 June 2025
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This strike, as far east as Siberia and as far north as the Arctic, was only a surprise insofar as Ukrainian security forces cleverly organized it in a way that the Russians could not effectively counter.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
3 June 2025
Noun
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The setting for the show is the beauteous grounds of the Palace of Fine Arts, which has been tricked out to accommodate all sorts of interactive and balloon-based wonderment.—
Randy McMullen,
Mercury News,
1 May 2025
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During his latest mission, his third long-duration on the International Space Station, Pettit brought his brand of wonderment to the assignment.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
29 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Astonishment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/astonishment. Accessed 11 Jun. 2025.
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