rock 1 of 3

noun

Definition of rocknext
slang
as in gem
a usually valuable stone cut and polished for ornament a trophy wife with enough rocks to open her own jewelry store

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

rock

2 of 3

verb

ˈräk How to pronounce rock (audio)
1
as in to sway
to make a series of unsteady side-to-side motions the boat was rocking so much that several passengers felt seasick

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to shake
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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3
as in to stun
to make senseless or dizzy by a blow she rocked the mugger with a single punch and then ran

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4
as in to surprise
to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected the news of the mayor's sudden death rocked the city

Synonyms & Similar Words

rock

3 of 3

adjective

as in rocklike

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Dissimilar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word rock different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of rock are agitate, convulse, and shake. While all these words mean "to move up and down or to and fro with some violence," rock suggests a swinging or swaying motion resulting from violent impact or upheaval.

the whole city was rocked by the explosion

When could agitate be used to replace rock?

The synonyms agitate and rock are sometimes interchangeable, but agitate suggests a violent and prolonged tossing or stirring.

an ocean agitated by storms

Where would convulse be a reasonable alternative to rock?

In some situations, the words convulse and rock are roughly equivalent. However, convulse suggests a violent pulling or wrenching as of a body in a paroxysm.

spectators were convulsed with laughter

When is it sensible to use shake instead of rock?

The meanings of shake and rock largely overlap; however, shake often carries a further implication of a particular purpose.

shake well before using

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 rock
Noun
The rupture released a torrent of ice, mud, rock, and water that built up and then burst through the region’s narrow valleys and waterways. — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026 The disaster began Wednesday when a massive chunk of ice and rock dozens of times larger than the Empire State Building broke off a mountaintop and triggered the catastrophic flooding, geologists said. — Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026
Verb
North Carolina was rocked in head coach Bill Belichick's first game at the helm. — David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026 The actress, 40, was a style icon of the 1990s and 2000s, rocking ‘fits with colors and patterns that were always bold, playful and expressive. — Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026
Adjective
The group’s final two albums — Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock — helped lay the groundwork for what would later be dubbed post-rock, inspiring generations of artists with their spacious, improvisational approach to composition. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 20 July 2026 As the quartet builds toward a post-rock crescendo and a wistful, snowcapped outro that’s lightly accompanied by the sound of children on a playground, Kinsella and his bandmates spin the narrative in a kaleidoscopic language all their own. — Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 4 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for rock
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rock
  1. gem
  2. sway
  3. shake
  4. stun
  5. surprise
  6. adamantine
  7. jewel
  8. lurch
Noun
  • The Meltdown had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of this year’s Cannes Film Festival, where The Hollywood Reporter featured it as a hidden gem.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Enjoy this underappreciated gem—just beware the Frogman, who lurks in Stephen’s mind and on every page.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of gem
Verb
  • Palm trees swayed over a serene campus where students surfed at Campus Point between (or in lieu of) classes.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Zoe Zeeman swayed back and forth behind her bass, simply dressed in a tee and vintage Lakers shorts.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of sway
Verb
  • Beck didn’t participate in the book, but Riesman finds enough friends, family and associates to assemble a complex portrait of an artist who wants his audiences to see him as fashion-forward but has had a hard time shaking his past.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Thunderous applause may greet one documentary premiering at the Venice Film Festival, fitting for a story of athletes who shake the earth with every footfall.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of shake
Verb
  • Innanen stuns as Paul Baker — full name all the time — a Canadian newcomer to the group who becomes integral to his friends’ emotional processing all while operating as the resident Gen-Z eye candy.
    — CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The final price tag stunned the industry and reflected a confluence of factors inside and outside San Diego.
    — Dennis Lin, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of stun
Verb
  • Ramirez-Smith, whose law firm is located in Nampa, Canyon County’s largest city, wasn’t surprised by how closely the Canyon County probation department was working with ICE.
    — Rachel Spacek, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
  • One person not surprised by Yancy’s win was Lauren Beth Gash, the founding chair of the Tenth Congressional District Democrats.
    — Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of surprise
Adjective
  • During Vargas Llosa’s lifetime, his political beliefs underwent extreme changes, from supporting Castro’s revolutionary Communism to championing traditional European liberalism, which included an adamantine belief in unregulated markets.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
  • Image My first collision with the adamantine wall of Vivamayr house rules coincided with my arrival.
    — Caity Weaver, New York Times, 25 Jan. 2025
Definition of adamantine
Noun
  • The owner of this famous jewel—still worn today by the women of the Luxembourg royal family —did not seem destined to become a grand duchess.
    — Giorgia Olivieri, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The Vienna robbery also comes less than a year after the brazen theft of jewels from the Louvre in Paris.
    — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of jewel
Verb
  • Maresca, though, does not appear to have much taste for the Premier League’s lurch towards balls into the box.
    — Sam Lee, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The United States, which had been lurching toward entry in the Second World War, was suddenly and inescapably thrust into global conflict.
    — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of lurch

Phrases Containing rock

Browse Nearby Words

robustness
rock
rockaway
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Cite this Entry

“Rock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rock. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on rock

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rock

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