variants
also surprize
1
as in shock
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in amazement
the state of being strongly impressed by something unexpected or unusual
stared in utter surprise at the deer in his cabin
Synonyms & Similar Words
variants
also surprize
1
as in to amaze
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to ambush
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.
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Recent Examples of surprise
Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 14 June 2025
The surprise attack on Tehran raised the stakes in a long-running internal dispute, whose stakes could increase as Israel’s need for support grows in response to Iranian retaliation.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 14 June 2025
Sam Worley, Vulture, 2 June 2025
Chase’s decision to devote herself to the flute and to championing vital new composers and performers did not surprise her parents, both of whom are veteran professional musicians.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for surprise
Noun
His comments come after Iran launched retaliatory drone and air strikes toward Israel Friday in response to the Israeli military’s surprise attack a day earlier — which targeted Tehran’s nuclear facilities and ballistic missile sites.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 14 June 2025
The surprise attack on Tehran raised the stakes in a long-running internal dispute, whose stakes could increase as Israel’s need for support grows in response to Iranian retaliation.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 14 June 2025
Verb
But life, we’re reminded, retains its ability to surprise.
—Sam Worley, Vulture, 2 June 2025
Chase’s decision to devote herself to the flute and to championing vital new composers and performers did not surprise her parents, both of whom are veteran professional musicians.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for surprise
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surprise
Noun
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Investors have learned to position themselves for both the initial shock of aggressive announcements and the subsequent backpedaling that typically follows.—
Robert Daugherty,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
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Narrating what happened with the boy in the autopsy room turned out to be wholly different from experiencing it; the riptide shock of that moment slowed to a largo of painful excavation.—
Danielle Ofri,
New Yorker,
7 June 2025
Noun
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Within three weeks, to Akasha’s amazement, Shimshai was up to 40 orders a day.—
Andy Greenberg,
Wired News,
22 May 2025
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This spectacle of breezy contempt regarding questions of process and policy was humiliating, for sure, but hardly an amazement.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Three police officers shot in what appears to be a surprise ambush at the scene of a grisly murder.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
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More: Trump confronts South African leader with false claims of genocide in Oval Office ambush Mandela later tapped him to lead negotiations for the country's new democratic framework in 1991.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
Verb
-
In The 2025 Playoffs Cason Wallace didn’t amaze anyone with his playoff debut last season.—
Mat Issa,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
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Among all, what truly amazed the 2022 U.S. Open champion was the 14-time PGA Tour winner, Scheffler's sheer dominance.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 May 2025
Verb
-
The pathogen is known as Fusarium graminearum, which can attack wheat, barley, maize and rice and sicken livestock and people, the FBI said in a court filing in Detroit.—
Ed White,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2025
-
Her dad drove to Boulder to attack the protest three days later, according to investigators.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
4 June 2025
Noun
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At a news briefing later that day, Mayor Karen Bass expressed astonishment about Padilla’s treatment.—
Julia Wick,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2025
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For Córdova, that path began with a moment of astonishment: watching a television program about neutron stars as a young woman, she was struck by the immensity of the cosmos and felt the pull of a question that would guide her for a lifetime — how does the universe work?—
John Drake,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
Verb
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When Anderson heard that his friend was assaulted, the musician was stunned.—
Brenna Ehrlich,
Rolling Stone,
8 June 2025
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Seth Jones scored a goal and an assist, and Dmitry Kulikov and Brad Marchand scored 3:46 apart in the second period to stun the rabid crowd.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
7 June 2025
Verb
-
Part of what startled Fitzgerald’s generation about their studio experience was how near at hand the real bad guys could be.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
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The late morning blast rattled homes and startled the desert city just before 11 local time, The Desert Sun, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
20 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Surprise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surprise. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
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