variants
also dumfound
as in to amaze
to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected
the surprise ending will dumbfound even the most seasoned mystery reader
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dumbfound
Neighbors were disgusted and dumbfounded about the senseless slaughter of an animal that had never caused any trouble.
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Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 28 Jan. 2025
And while stumbling through the silly categories, the contestants are dumbfounded far too often during the episodes made available for review.
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 4 Dec. 2024
The revelation dumbfounded Clark.
—Daniel S. Levine, People.com, 21 Nov. 2024
Siri’s Guide for Newbie Farmers To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video This implausible performance dumbfounded many Americans, like Carol Foyler, who resides in Akron, Ohio.
—Andy Borowitz, The New Yorker, 27 June 2023
See All Example Sentences for dumbfound
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dumbfound
Verb
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An artist who never fails to amaze me.—
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The universe amazed me yet again.—
Verb
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But no one was surprised by the play in the Panthers’ locker room, even after Scott’s struggles in 2024.—
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While each deposit may seem small, this money can snowball over time and surprise you.—
Verb
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An injury to Jordan Cox, who had been due to keep wicket, saw a reshuffle and a decision that shocked everyone.—
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On Tuesday night, the football program was shocked to see on social media that Williams had announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal.—
Verb
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So we were stunned to read about how Sean Harden, chair of the Chicago Board of Education as duly appointed by Mayor Brandon Johnson, reportedly had launched two internal investigations into how that board’s super-secret business got into the hands of reporters.—
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Others were stunned by individual line items.—
Verb
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The Royals lost 106 games in his first season but astonished the baseball world by making the playoffs in 2024.—
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Researchers studying the carcasses of bats in a cave system were astonished to find evidence that common rats have developed a method of catching and eating bats mid-flight—something previously unknown to science.—
Verb
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Jamie, the dog-sitter, is startled that Pam is back so soon.—
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Hauge called that startling, given that court filing fees alone cost just as much.—
Cite this Entry
“Dumbfound.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dumbfound. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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