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shocks and awes

shocks and awes is the third-person singular simple present indicative of shock and awe.

Meaning of shock and awe

Verb

shock and awe (third-person singular simple present shocks and awes, present participle shocking and awing or shocking and aweing, simple past and past participle shocked and awed)

  1. (also, figuratively) To use the "shock and awe" doctrine in an actual or potential conflict, or to otherwise use a spectacular display of force or authority.
    • He was a young soldier still in the great battle of life, not used to see his fellow-combatants drop down by his side; and he felt shocked and awed.[1877, Julia Kavanagh, chapter XXVII, in Two Lilies. A Novel, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, 549 & 551 Broadway, →OCLC, page 261

See all 2 meanings of shock and awe

Questions about shocks and awes

What is shocks and awes the third-person singular simple present indicative of?
Shocks and awes is the third-person singular simple present indicative of shock and awe.

Words near shocks and awes in the dictionary

  1. shockproof
  2. shockproofed
  3. shockproofing
  4. shockproofs
  5. shocks
  6. shocks and awes
  7. shockstall
  8. shockstalls
  9. shockt
  10. shocktroop
  11. shocktroops

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: shocks and awes (page history and authors); shock and awe (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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