1
as in stressed
suffering from high levels of physical and especially psychological stress
even after the long furlough, the returning soldiers still felt a little shell-shocked
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dazed
suffering from mental confusion
shell-shocked survivors who were in dire need of every kind of help
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of shell-shocked
The Charlotte defenders looked shell-shocked, and the collapse accelerated from there.
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Colin Cerniglia, Charlotte Observer, 18 May 2025
Boston, even with its title pedigree, looked shell-shocked, out of its league in a way few thought possible given the drastic swings in the series.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 17 May 2025
Alexander-Arnold looked shell-shocked and so did many of his team-mates.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 12 May 2025
Area Republicans look shell-shocked: President Trump’s sweeping tariff announcement sent a shockwave through the global economy, put the stock market into a tailspin and fueled fears that the U.S. is headed toward a recession.
—Cate Martel, The Hill, 4 Apr. 2025
Soaring egg prices have left U.S. consumers scrambling and shell-shocked.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2025
The Seahawks’ lead grew to 10 and the Delaware contingent – arms crossed, eyes staring blankly at the court – looked shell-shocked.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN, 12 Mar. 2025
Yvonne, still shell-shocked from tragedy and staring down a bowl of what looks like free-range vomit, would beg to differ if the vibes weren’t already so bad.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 Mar. 2025
The Etihad looked shell-shocked once again and began fearing what seemed almost inevitable: a late Madrid winner.
—Ben Church, CNN, 12 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shell-shocked
Adjective
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These are the members of your team who felt more focused, creative, or less stressed after implementing microbreaks.—
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For example, creating more enemies for a relaxed player, or fewer for a stressed player.—
Adjective
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The band played everything a little slower, and the songs drifted through the theatre with a dazed elegance.—
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The museum show did happen — though some of what’s in it is fabricated, including a few fake ads for Apple and Absolut Vodka that the band very much did not shoot — but everyone in attendance seems a little dazed and confused about it, including the band.—
Adjective
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But Evander Kane banked a puck off Esa Lindell’s skate and past a bewildered DeSmith less than three minutes later to restore the two-goal lead.—
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Comments Jeffrey Dean Morgan was baffled, bewildered, and befuddled.—
Adjective
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The Justice Department similarly told the Supreme Court that some lower courts are confused about how to evaluate multiple IQ tests under Supreme Court rules for what counts as cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment.—
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It’s become the subject of much conversation at Variety, and Erickson is similarly confused.—
Adjective
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While Walker is so distracted, a high-speed chase involving the other four cops in on his dirty-money scheme is unfolding across town.—
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Eventually, doctors crafted a diagnosis that could explain distracted and excitable personalities, and a consensus formed about how to treat them.—
Adjective
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Signs of dehydration, including: dry mouth and throat, infrequent peeing and feeling dizzy when standing up.—
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Spinning is what dizzy people do, and Lopez is not that.—
Cite this Entry
“Shell-shocked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shell-shocked. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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