variants
or less commonly surprize
1
a
: an attack made without warning
b
: a taking unawares
2
: something that surprises
3
: the feeling caused by something unexpected or unusual
variants
or less commonly surprize
surprised also surprized; surprising also surprizing
1
: to attack unexpectedly
also
: to capture by an unexpected attack
2
a
: to take unawares
Police surprised the burglars in the store.
b
: to detect or elicit by a taking unawares
… sometimes surprised a tragic shadow in her eyes.—
Willa Cather
Willa Cather3
: to strike with wonder or amazement especially because unexpected
His conduct surprised me.
: to cause astonishment or surprise
Her success didn't surprise.
surpriser
noun
Synonyms
Examples of surprise in a Sentence
Noun
What a pleasant surprise to see you!
It's no surprise that he doesn't want to go.
Is it any surprise that she should feel disappointed?
The teacher sprang a surprise on us and gave a pop quiz.
I have a special surprise for the children.
The trip was a surprise for her birthday.
Is the party a surprise?
Imagine our surprise when they sold their house and moved to the Bahamas.
He stared at her in surprise.
Verb
The results will surprise you.
Nothing you could say would surprise me.
They surprised everyone by moving to the Bahamas.
A police officer surprised the burglars.
The troops were surprised by an attack from the north.
Recent Examples on the WebCBS News, 11 Apr. 2024
The fact that private equity powerhouses are key players in the battle for the Paramount crown comes as no surprise to Cane.
—Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Apr. 2024
The Pioneer Woman Boots & Cookie Jar If the grandma in your life is a fan of The Pioneer Woman or country decor, this cookie jar will be a fun surprise.
—Maya Polton, Parents, 11 Apr. 2024
For some communities, tests results were a surprise.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 11 Apr. 2024
In addition to live music, the 2024 festival will feature a vintage market presented by World’s Worst Expo, Silent Disco by the Hall of Fame, a community art project, a beauty bar hosted by a local salon and surprise vendors, the Downtown Sacramento Partnership said in a news release.
—Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 10 Apr. 2024
The Rebels produced an upside surprise in 2024 with their first 20-win season in six years.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 10 Apr. 2024
But since the start of the year, the data has brought unwanted surprises, with economists and the markets now expecting no cuts until later in 2024.
—Rachel Siegel, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
There’s a surprise in just about every room of this 26-room castle, making up 10,781 square feet of finished living space that boasts five bedrooms, five full bathrooms and two partial bathrooms.
—Detroit Free Press, 9 Apr. 2024
Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2024
How Modern Footwear Supports, and Changes, the Foot Nothing surprised me more on that first barefoot run than realizing that, without traditional running shoes, my feet were essentially piles of mush at the end of my legs.
—Laura Lancaster, Outdoor Life, 11 Apr. 2024
The following five unique Masters elements might surprise you.
—Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
The federal government might investigate For patients surprised by out-of-network charges on their medical bills, Amin recommends filing a complaint with the No Surprises Help Desk.
—Elizabeth B. Kim, The Enquirer, 10 Apr. 2024
One of the key factors in achieving this monumental feat may surprise you: the optimization of the sapphire crystal.
—Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 8 Apr. 2024
Trending on Billboard The fact that this will be Anitta’s first bona fide tour outside Brazil may surprise fans, as the singer seems to be everywhere all at once.
—Leila Cobo, Billboard, 8 Apr. 2024
That’s as good of a description as any for engagement with art, having an aesthetic experience, being open to surprise and having things happen.
—Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2024
And while some of their advice might seem obvious, the rest might surprise you.
—Maria Godoy, NPR, 6 Apr. 2024
Noun
There were no previous concerns regarding its structural integrity and the crack came as a surprise, Taylor said.
—CBS News, 11 Apr. 2024
The fact that private equity powerhouses are key players in the battle for the Paramount crown comes as no surprise to Cane.
—Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Apr. 2024
The Pioneer Woman Boots & Cookie Jar If the grandma in your life is a fan of The Pioneer Woman or country decor, this cookie jar will be a fun surprise.
—Maya Polton, Parents, 11 Apr. 2024
For some communities, tests results were a surprise.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 11 Apr. 2024
In addition to live music, the 2024 festival will feature a vintage market presented by World’s Worst Expo, Silent Disco by the Hall of Fame, a community art project, a beauty bar hosted by a local salon and surprise vendors, the Downtown Sacramento Partnership said in a news release.
—Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 10 Apr. 2024
The Rebels produced an upside surprise in 2024 with their first 20-win season in six years.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 10 Apr. 2024
But since the start of the year, the data has brought unwanted surprises, with economists and the markets now expecting no cuts until later in 2024.
—Rachel Siegel, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
There’s a surprise in just about every room of this 26-room castle, making up 10,781 square feet of finished living space that boasts five bedrooms, five full bathrooms and two partial bathrooms.
—Detroit Free Press, 9 Apr. 2024
Verb
To be sure, some people face higher audit risks than others, and one of them might surprise you.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2024
How Modern Footwear Supports, and Changes, the Foot Nothing surprised me more on that first barefoot run than realizing that, without traditional running shoes, my feet were essentially piles of mush at the end of my legs.
—Laura Lancaster, Outdoor Life, 11 Apr. 2024
The following five unique Masters elements might surprise you.
—Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
The federal government might investigate For patients surprised by out-of-network charges on their medical bills, Amin recommends filing a complaint with the No Surprises Help Desk.
—Elizabeth B. Kim, The Enquirer, 10 Apr. 2024
One of the key factors in achieving this monumental feat may surprise you: the optimization of the sapphire crystal.
—Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 8 Apr. 2024
Trending on Billboard The fact that this will be Anitta’s first bona fide tour outside Brazil may surprise fans, as the singer seems to be everywhere all at once.
—Leila Cobo, Billboard, 8 Apr. 2024
That’s as good of a description as any for engagement with art, having an aesthetic experience, being open to surprise and having things happen.
—Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2024
And while some of their advice might seem obvious, the rest might surprise you.
—Maria Godoy, NPR, 6 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'surprise.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to surprise
Dictionary Entries Near surprise
Cite this Entry
“Surprise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surprise. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
surprise
1 of 2 noun
sur·prise
sə(r)-ˈprīz 
1
a
: an attack made without warning
b
: an act or an instance of coming upon someone suddenly
2
: something that surprises
3
: the state of being surprised : astonishment
surprise
2 of 2 verb
variants
also surprize
surprised also surprized; surprising also surprizing
1
a
: to attack without warning
b
: to capture by an unexpected attack
2
: to come upon unexpectedly
3
: to fill with wonder or amazement because unexpected
surpriser
noun
Geographical Definition
Surprise
geographical name
Sur·prise
sər-ˈprīz
city in south central Arizona west of Phoenix population 117,517
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