as in to amaze
to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected
the news that you and she broke up absolutely astonishes me
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Recent Examples of astonish
Bennett enlisted the teen-age McNally to scrape old paint off a plaster frieze in his sitting room; when McNally returned a year later, he was astonished to see the walls’ transformation.
—
Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 5 May 2025
Richard Noble, the previous land-speed-record holder at 633 mph in Thrust 2, once recalled being astonished by how Green was able to provide a calm commentary while going supersonic in Thrust SSC.
—Ben Oliver, Robb Report, 27 Apr. 2025
Soccer Player Sidelined Due to Injury from 'Pretty Hefty Sneeze'
According to Ashley, the hospital staff were astonished.
—Madison E. Goldberg, People.com, 22 Apr. 2025
Licence utilisation among the initial user base exceeded 80 percent, a figure that astonished even the bank’s AI leadership team.
—Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for astonish
Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 5 May 2025
Richard Noble, the previous land-speed-record holder at 633 mph in Thrust 2, once recalled being astonished by how Green was able to provide a calm commentary while going supersonic in Thrust SSC.
—Ben Oliver, Robb Report, 27 Apr. 2025
Soccer Player Sidelined Due to Injury from 'Pretty Hefty Sneeze'
According to Ashley, the hospital staff were astonished.
—Madison E. Goldberg, People.com, 22 Apr. 2025
Licence utilisation among the initial user base exceeded 80 percent, a figure that astonished even the bank’s AI leadership team.
—Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for astonish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for astonish
Verb
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What amazes me is how reading has affected not just me but so many others as well.—
Lynne Agress,
Baltimore Sun,
19 May 2025
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While the dazzling auroras might’ve amazed our ancestors, the weak magnetic field intensified ultraviolet and cosmic radiation.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
10 May 2025
Verb
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Coastal Mississippi is constantly surprising us, but one of its most delightful surprises is the fact that some of its beaches have white sand that rivals even Florida’s top spots.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
23 May 2025
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While watching car auctions together may surprise some, Kidman previously shared that Urban is a car enthusiast with Marie Claire Australia for the magazine's November 2020 issue.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
People.com,
23 May 2025
Verb
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The Pacers hold a 2-0 series lead after stunning the Knicks at MSG in Games 1 and 2.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 May 2025
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Related article Tyrese Haliburton and Indiana Pacers stun New York Knicks in overtime to take Game 1 of Eastern Conference Finals Siakam insisted, however, that he and his teammates were not getting distracted by the prospect of writing their names in franchise history.—
Jamie Barton,
CNN Money,
24 May 2025
Verb
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Perhaps there is some potential for hypersonics here, but I would be shocked to ever see a satellite launched into orbit from a fighter jet.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
30 May 2025
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Despite the wide selection, don’t be shocked by the steep prices.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
30 May 2025
Verb
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Sea pens can produce a bioluminescent glow when disturbed, flashing a greenish light to startle predators such as sea stars and nudibranchs.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2025
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Long time viewers of 60 Minutes are understandably startled by these high level fireworks.—
Peter Bart,
Deadline,
8 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Astonish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/astonish. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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