SHOCKS Synonyms: 149 Similar and Opposite Words

shocks 1 of 2

noun

plural of shock

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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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

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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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

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 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 Some have also had to tap their 401(k) plans to cope with financial shocks, like a 61-year-old who is currently drawing down her $100,000 retirement fund after losing her job in December. — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026 The Department of Homeland Security, which doesn’t seem willing or able to keep its agents from killing unarmed civilians, proposes to equip them with gloves that give electric shocks. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026 Mechanical watches, however, are rarely seen during competition, particularly in a sport where a timepiece could be subjected to the shocks of sliding, diving for a ball or being hit by a pitch. — Anthony Demarco, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026 New Zealand looks to be the best place to hedge impact from severe El Niño shocks to global food supply chains, according to Bank of America. — Justina Lee, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2026 The new rules also include an update to a mechanism in the program that’s intended to avoid price shocks. — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 18 Aug. 2026 While a change in leadership at the Fed can trigger some market volatility, Chairman Warsh’s approach of less communication has added to uncertainty about how the central bank will respond to inflation and other economic shocks. — John Towfighi, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026

Verb

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 So during her speech, Beulah shocks everyone by saying the ranch will go to Rob-Will. — Noel Murray, Vulture, 19 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shocks

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

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

Writer-director Jacob Chase is uniquely qualified to distill what really scares audiences.

— William Earl, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026
The exposure obviously scares him, but not enough to stop him from filming his next scene, where he’s been tasked with breaking in newcomer Cami Soul.

— Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of scares

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

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shock jocks

shocks

shoddies

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

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Synonyms of shocks

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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