surprises 1 of 2

noun

variants also surprizes
plural of surprise
1
as in shocks
something that makes a strong impression because it is so unexpected the anniversary party was such a complete surprise that the couple was speechless for a moment

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Relevance
2
as in amazements
the state of being strongly impressed by something unexpected or unusual stared in utter surprise at the deer in his cabin

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3
as in ambushes
a setup in which hidden attackers lie in wait waited under cover of darkness and took the enemy encampment by surprise at dawn

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surprises

2 of 2

verb

variants also surprizes
present tense third-person singular of surprise
1
as in amazes
to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected I was very surprised when my parents offered to pay the down payment on our house

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2
as in attacks
to lie in wait for and attack by surprise FBI agents surprised the counterfeiters in their own base of operations

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 surprises
Noun
Doyle was a starter on three straight 100-plus loss teams in Colorado, but will now suit up for AL Central-leading White Sox, who are one of baseball's biggest surprises just two years after setting a modern record with 121 losses. — Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 3 Aug. 2026 There were a couple of surprises when Roberto De Zerbi announced his squad for Tottenham Hotspur’s pre-season tour of Australia and New Zealand. — Thom Harris, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026 From whale sharks and sand tiger sharks to great white encounters, shark conservation and the lasting impact of Jaws, the hourlong special explores the science, stories and surprises behind some of the ocean's most iconic predators. — Sarah Scanlan, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2026 Beyond shedding light on the origin of super-puffy planets, the TOI-791 discovery also serves as a reminder that countless surprises are likely hiding in old and new astronomical datasets. — Chris Young july 30, Refractor, 30 July 2026 As the team has continuously suggested — in fact, as most observatory teams tend to suggest — the best discoveries will be the surprises. — Monisha Ravisetti, Space.com, 29 July 2026 One of the surprises aboard Beyond was the enviable art sprinkled throughout every nook and cranny. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 July 2026 Cosplay isn’t only for the fans; superstars went incognito to create some of the convention’s best surprises. — Angelique Jackson, Variety, 28 July 2026 One of those surprises this year is the abundance of female performers headlining the four-day festival, coming Thursday to Sunday in Grant Park. — Britt Julious, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2026
Verb
What surprises me, actually, is – not surprises me, but what gratifies me is that Iranian attacks have been – not been larger or more capable. — CBS News, 12 July 2026 The Park Hyatt Chicago, which opened in 1980 as the first-ever Park Hyatt hotel, immediately surprises with its boutique vibe. — Rima Suqi, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 July 2026 Of course, something can always happen that surprises us and throws Wall Street for a loop. — Zev Fima,kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 5 July 2026 But Armand surprises himself sometimes with the admissions that come out. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 July 2026 However, this is also a series that surprises audiences with mysterious twins that have been under your nose the whole time. — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 29 June 2026 Himalayan Restaurant Similar to Tropicali, Himalayan Restaurant surprises visitors to downtown Big Bear with its impressive Indian and Nepalese food. — Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 28 June 2026 What surprises people most is the diversity of the landscape here. — Sarah Sekula, USA Today, 26 June 2026 The explanation often surprises viewers, many of whom assume a house sold for one euro must come with significant strings attached. — Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 24 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surprises
  1. shocks
  2. astonishments
  3. ambushes
  4. amazes
  5. attacks
  6. jolts
  7. traps
  8. stuns
Noun
  • This man of shocks shocked once again; Cole left for Old Trafford.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 21 July 2026
  • Geopolitical shocks, economic shakiness and breakneck advances in AI have left many feeling unmoored, even pessimistic.
    — Aytekin Tank, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of shocks
Noun
  • The Oscars, airing March 2 on ABC and streaming live on Hulu, will offer up kudos for some of these astonishments.
    — Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Feb. 2025
Definition of astonishments
Noun
  • Humans prepare for warfare with more surveillance, taking to higher ground to gather information, conducting ambushes and raids, and quietly spying on enemy territory to avoid detection.
    — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 16 July 2026
  • By his spiritual discernment, the prophet Elisha was repeatedly able to warn the king of Israel about ambushes planned by the king of Syria.
    — Liesl Ehmke, Christian Science Monitor, 29 June 2026
Definition of ambushes
Verb
  • His greatness is never in question, but to have the league at a standstill because of a 41-year-old free agent amazes me.
    — Chris Branch, New York Times, 17 July 2026
  • This technology still amazes me.
    — Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 8 June 2026
Definition of amazes
Verb
  • She has been diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, an eye disease that causes vision loss, and lupus, a disease where the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissues and organs instead of fighting germs, according to court records.
    — Chase Jordan July 30, Charlotte Observer, 30 July 2026
  • The filmmaker has previously spoken about having myositis — a disease where the immune system attacks the muscles — which has significantly affected his mobility.
    — Rino Lu, IndieWire, 28 July 2026
Definition of attacks
Noun
  • There are no lyrics, no mixing inconsistencies, no jolts of experimental hiss.
    — Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 30 July 2026
  • Additional jolts of sophistication come courtesy of a custom Area Environments wall covering, a gold mirror from Made Goods, Jiun Ho sconces, and German photographer Ellen von Unwerth’s black and white snapshot of a carefree Naomi Campbell.
    — Alia Akkam, Architectural Digest, 13 July 2026
Definition of jolts
Noun
  • Pulling crab traps with his three kids and the five-minute commute to work are perks of his newfound island life.
    — Katie Nanton, Travel + Leisure, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The inspector found organic matter in the ice machine, fly traps hanging in the kitchen and a dead roach in the hand sink drain.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of traps
Verb
  • Paula Abdul stuns in neon orange for The Hollywood Reporter’s A-list Aesthetics event at Hotel Bel-Air on July 15 in Los Angeles.
    — Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 16 July 2026
  • Set the scene This resort stuns, with magical panoramic views of the northern coastline of Crete.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 July 2026
Definition of stuns

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Cite this Entry

“Surprises.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surprises. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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