variants
also surprized
as in startled
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
variants
also surprized
1
as in amazed
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 ambushed
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 surprised
Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 24 Mar. 2026
But don’t be surprised if the Yankees deploy Lagrange as a nasty bullpen weapon down the stretch.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 23 Mar. 2026
Melinda Sheckells, HollywoodReporter, 24 Mar. 2026
Saoirse can’t bear to think of her youngest daughter’s face when the public health nurse cooed, tickled her thighs, and then surprised her with an injection in the arm.
—Literary Hub, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for surprised
Adjective
The researchers were most surprised by how quickly the benefits were lost.
—Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 24 Mar. 2026
But don’t be surprised if the Yankees deploy Lagrange as a nasty bullpen weapon down the stretch.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 23 Mar. 2026
Verb
The audience, however, surprised him.
—Melinda Sheckells, HollywoodReporter, 24 Mar. 2026
Saoirse can’t bear to think of her youngest daughter’s face when the public health nurse cooed, tickled her thighs, and then surprised her with an injection in the arm.
—Literary Hub, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for surprised
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surprised
Adjective
-
While walking on the pier, Gorman was startled to find Medina, wearing all black and a ski mask, hiding near the lighthouse.—
Madeline Buckley,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The first of the three legs in an inaugural fundraiser called the Wagora Bike Ride unspools along rocky red clay roads and through rutted jeep tracks, past braying herds of zebra and startled warthogs.—
Tom Vanderbilt,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
For twelve seasons, Kim has amazed us with her fierce and raw portrayal of Teddy Altman.—
Kate Aurthur,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Melissa's rapid intensification and high winds and atypical hurricane behavior amazed even some of the more experienced scientists who study tropical cyclones, thanks in part to its journey over some exceptionally warm waters in the Caribbean.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
One morning in 1980, Carl Fletcher, head of one of the richest Jewish families in Long Island and owner of a local plastics factory, is ambushed and kidnapped from his driveway.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
29 Mar. 2026
-
In the first inning, when the Tigers both waited out Pivetta and ambushed him, three of his 18 four-seam fastballs were in the strike zone.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Both view the Lebanese government as still completely incapable of disarming Hezbollah, though both were shocked at the new assertiveness of Beirut as seen by Tuesday’s banishment of Iran’s ambassador.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Kunno’s eviction left his alliance in the house shocked, and no one more than Oriana Marzoli, who’s been at the center of a lot of the drama all season long.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In a message Monday on X, Sánchez said that so far there were no signs indicating that the plane was attacked by rebel groups that operate near Puerto Leguizamo.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
24 Mar. 2026
-
In the early 1980s, in the full flush of revolutionary ardor and against an age-old enemy who had attacked them without provocation, the Iranian people and armed forces fought and suffered for their country.—
Eliot A. Cohen,
The Atlantic,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Castro, who spent the day with Mejia and often translated for her, described Mejia as awed and giddy throughout the day.—
Emiliano Tahui Gómez,
Austin American Statesman,
17 Mar. 2026
-
And the second-to-none acoustics, with 10,000 state-of-the-art fiber panels that project sound throughout the theater, will leave you awed.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The original footage showed something remarkable — dogs acting with coordination, loyalty, and determination that stunned viewers.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The news stunned California, where Chavez rose to national prominence in the mid-1960s as a galvanizing force for better pay and working conditions for agricultural laborers.—
Kevinisha Walker,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Desmond is wonderful in the part, finding sympathy and just the right amount of bewildered charisma without tipping into caddishness.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Be careful about coming on so strong that others are bewildered or defensive.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Surprised.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surprised. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
