as in astonishment
the state of being strongly impressed by something unexpected or unusual
the look of startlement in her eyes when she found herself at the wedding seated next to her ex-boyfriend
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for startlement
Noun
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For Córdova, that path began with a moment of astonishment: watching a television program about neutron stars as a young woman, she was struck by the immensity of the cosmos and felt the pull of a question that would guide her for a lifetime — how does the universe work?—
John Drake,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025 -
Then, to my astonishment, two slender blue-white streaks appeared, faintly at first, then slightly brighter, like a pair of angel wings peeking through some wondrous celestial realm.—
Blane Bachelor,
AFAR Media,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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In Kevin Day’s case, the initial sense of shock eventually gave way to tears in, of all places, his local supermarket.—
Stuart James,
New York Times,
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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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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Even still, King says that being chosen for Reese’s Book Club was a surprise.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
People.com,
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
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“Startlement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/startlement. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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