element of surprise
noun phrase
: the unexpected or surprising character of something
The attackers were relying on the element of surprise.
Examples of element of surprise in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The concerts follow his recent New York run and will feature rotating special guests, adding an element of surprise to each night.
—
Holly Alvarado, Oc Register, 26 Nov. 2025
Crowds gather — people come out of their houses, dog walkers pause on their routes, cyclists and drivers make detours — to protest what the agents are doing and remove any element of surprise.
—Jason Kravarik, CNN Money, 13 Nov. 2025
That’s fit this year’s shift to more under-center and play-action passing, but now it’s created an element of surprise to the defense that moving Nacua around before the snap never could.
—Nate Atkins, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
These stories don’t require any element of surprise; the appeal of this kind of romance is built on anticipation, on our expectation that people who are destined to be together will in fact get together.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for element of surprise
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Holly Alvarado, Oc Register, 26 Nov. 2025
Crowds gather — people come out of their houses, dog walkers pause on their routes, cyclists and drivers make detours — to protest what the agents are doing and remove any element of surprise.
—Jason Kravarik, CNN Money, 13 Nov. 2025
That’s fit this year’s shift to more under-center and play-action passing, but now it’s created an element of surprise to the defense that moving Nacua around before the snap never could.
—Nate Atkins, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
These stories don’t require any element of surprise; the appeal of this kind of romance is built on anticipation, on our expectation that people who are destined to be together will in fact get together.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for element of surprise
Cite this Entry
“Element of surprise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/element%20of%20surprise. Accessed 20 Dec. 2025.
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