flabbergasted at how

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "flabbergasted at how" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to express surprise or astonishment regarding a particular situation or fact. Example: "I was flabbergasted at how quickly the project was completed."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

In fact, friends who are taking part in the summit were flabbergasted at how well this rule describes reality".

The New Yorker

Even I was flabbergasted at how quickly I'd admitted that.

Huffington Post

McLaren however is flabbergasted at how they managed to take his research and come up with the conclusion that the plant would be harmless.

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

Wright, a soft-spoken, genial man with a mildly sardonic air, recounted for me how his team, flabbergasted at the news of an anonymous buyer, had defied (or, possibly, obeyed) the advice of their new owners to "just focus on doing their jobs," regardless of who those owners might be.

The New Yorker

I'm flabbergasted at this flabby-blasting".

The Guardian - Film

He was flabbergasted at the odd workings of his brain.

The New Yorker

Pratchett said he was "flabbergasted" at the honour.

The Guardian

"I'm flabbergasted at what changed in our town in five days," Poliquin told me.

The New Yorker

"I'm flabbergasted at this action by the North Koreans," he said.

The New York Times

Still, Alan Roth said he "was flabbergasted" at the reception he received at his neighborhood Starbucks at 424 Park Avenue South.

The New York Times

When Mr. Birkle started looking into the transactions he was flabbergasted at the sales prices.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "flabbergasted at how" to express a high degree of surprise or astonishment, especially when something exceeds your expectations or understanding. For example: "I was flabbergasted at how smoothly the negotiations proceeded."

Common error

While "flabbergasted at how" is acceptable in many contexts, consider using a more formal alternative like "astonished by how" or "surprised by the extent to which" in academic or highly professional settings to maintain a polished tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "flabbergasted at how" functions as an adjectival phrase modifying a subject, expressing a strong feeling of surprise or astonishment in relation to a subsequent clause. As Ludwig AI points out, it is used to convey a high degree of amazement.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "flabbergasted at how" is used to express a strong feeling of surprise or astonishment. As Ludwig AI indicates, it is a grammatically correct phrase that functions as an adjectival modifier. It is most commonly found in news and media contexts and has a neutral tone, though can be considered slightly informal. While synonymous alternatives such as "astonished by how" or "amazed at how" exist, "flabbergasted at how" effectively conveys a high degree of amazement. Use this phrase when you want to emphasize just how surprised you were by a particular situation or outcome.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

astonished by how

Replaces "flabbergasted" with "astonished", a synonym expressing great surprise.

amazed at how

Substitutes "flabbergasted" with "amazed", indicating a feeling of great surprise and wonder.

astounded at how

Uses "astounded" instead of "flabbergasted", suggesting a feeling of shock and amazement.

dumbfounded at how

Replaces "flabbergasted" with "dumbfounded", indicating a state of being speechless with surprise.

stunned by how

Substitutes "flabbergasted" with "stunned", suggesting a feeling of being overwhelmed with surprise.

surprised by how

Replaces "flabbergasted" with "surprised", a more general term for feeling unexpectedness.

shocked at how

Replaces "flabbergasted" with "shocked", indicating a strong feeling of surprise and disbelief, often with negative connotations.

taken aback by how

Uses the idiom "taken aback" to convey a feeling of surprise and mild shock.

baffled by how

Uses "baffled" instead of "flabbergasted", emphasizing confusion and puzzlement in addition to surprise.

bewildered by how

Substitutes "flabbergasted" with "bewildered", highlighting confusion and disorientation caused by surprise.

FAQs

What does "flabbergasted at how" mean?

The phrase "flabbergasted at how" means to be extremely surprised or astonished by the manner in which something happened or the degree to which something is true. It indicates a high level of amazement.

What can I say instead of "flabbergasted at how"?

You can use alternatives like "astonished by how", "amazed at how", or "surprised by how" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "flabbergasted by how" instead of "flabbergasted at how"?

While "flabbergasted at how" is more common, "flabbergasted by how" is also grammatically acceptable. Both prepositions can be used to express surprise, but "at" is slightly more prevalent in usage.

How can I use "flabbergasted at how" in a sentence?

You can use "flabbergasted at how" to express surprise about a particular situation or outcome. For example: "I was flabbergasted at how quickly the project was completed", or "He was flabbergasted at how easily she solved the problem".