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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Jude Bellingham trotted over in his flip-flops in astonishment to congratulate Courtois before the two embraced, but no one was more pleased to see his goalkeeper come to the rescue than Alonso, who was asked what was going through his mind as Sabitzer’s effort headed towards goal.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
6 July 2025 -
Johansson even joked in her musical monologue that castmember Sarah Sherman was leaving, to Sherman's mock astonishment.—
Eric Deggans,
NPR,
18 May 2025
Noun
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With no traditional risk factors and a dentist who initially dismissed her concerns, the news came as a shock.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
People.com,
13 July 2025
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This good news probably comes as a shock to the average American consumer, and certainly to the average Democrat, who earlier this year thought Trump would usher in America’s Dark Ages.—
E.J. Antoni,
Boston Herald,
13 July 2025
Noun
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The proud dad shared an adorable new photo with their little one on Instagram Wednesday, July 3 On Wednesday, July 2, Irwin's husband, Chandler Powell, 28, shared an adorable Instagram photo of Grace Warrior Irwin Powell staring in amazement at a rainbow.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
People.com,
4 July 2025
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Others shared their amazement at the animals captured on the video.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 June 2025
Noun
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However, when Dawkins walked into the Longhorns’ gym at 7:15 a.m., well in advance of the team’s early morning practice time, Johnson caught Dawkins by surprise.—
Josh Robbins,
New York Times,
9 July 2025
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News accounts indicated that campers at Camp Mystic — where 27 campers and counselors were killed by floodwaters — were caught by such surprise that the girls needing rescue, some as young as 7 and 8, were found in their pajamas.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 July 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Startlement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/startlement. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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