dumbfounding 1 of 2

adjective

variants also dumfounding
as in surprising
causing a strong emotional reaction because of unexpectedness the dumbfounding sight of the race car driver walking away from that horrific crash

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

dumbfounding

2 of 2

verb

variants also dumfounding
present participle of dumbfound
as in amazing
to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected the surprise ending will dumbfound even the most seasoned mystery reader

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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 dumbfounding
Verb
The June jobs report showed leisure and hospitality jobs plunged by 61,000 positions – a number so dumbfounding that economists widely expect that to get revised . — David Goldman, CNN Money, 20 July 2026 Stroud’s development has stalled in Houston, where the Texans’ offensive line has long been a problem but can’t explain his erratic decision-making and dumbfounding turnovers. — Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 22 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dumbfounding
  1. surprising
  2. amazing
  3. startling
  4. stunning
  5. shocking
  6. astonishing
Adjective
  • Paying the balance may seem like the simplest way to deal with the issue, but sending money without understanding the debt's status could have surprising consequences.
    — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The Lucky star, 68, caught up with PEOPLE about the Lucky series finale and the surprising decision that her criminal character makes during her final scenes of the Apple TV thriller.
    — Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of surprising
Verb
  • In one camp Gao Sheng breaks a cultural norm by helping her father and uncles with a big project, amazing her relatives with her physical and mental strength.
    — Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 18 Jan. 2026
Definition of amazing
Adjective
  • Churchman said that in developing the firm’s AI platform for clients, the software made a startling admission.
    — Hugh Son, CNBC, 24 Aug. 2026
  • A couple's anniversary getaway took a wild turn when a bear strolled into a Gatlinburg tea shop and began rummaging through merchandise before suddenly jumping onto the counter in a startling encounter caught on video.
    — Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of startling
Verb
  • Footage of the fight shared online showed Williams punching Colón in the back of the head in the seventh round, apparently stunning him.
    — Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Margaret deploys this power to find Daniel and to free him from Noah and the WARDEX minions—essentially, by stunning them emotionally.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 16 June 2026
Definition of stunning
Adjective
  • As men, women and children flooded across the border between Morocco and Spain, into the autonomous city of Ceuta at the end of July, European populists and anti-immigrant politicians capitalized on the shocking images of human desperation.
    — Vasco Cotovio, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The number was so shocking that the company became a symbol of industrial power and financial concentration.
    — Dave Birnbaum, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of shocking
Verb
  • Booming demand Anthropic’s growth has been astonishing even by Silicon Valley standards.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Nordstrom has really sweet jewelry pieces at not-astonishing price points.
    — Gina Vaynshteyn, StyleCaster, 29 Apr. 2026
Definition of astonishing

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Cite this Entry

“Dumbfounding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dumbfounding. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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