variants
also surprized
as in startled
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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
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Recent Examples of surprised
ABC News, 2 Mar. 2026
Estrada has been pleasantly surprised by how the event naturally lends itself to socializing.
—Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2026
Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 3 Mar. 2026
And while some degree of political stress might be expected in the lead-up to a highly consequential election, what surprised us most was how little these numbers changed over time.
—Stephen Neely, The Conversation, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for surprised
Adjective
Zacharias' surprised expression is highlighted by light heralding the arrival of Gabriel, the museum said.
—ABC News, 2 Mar. 2026
Estrada has been pleasantly surprised by how the event naturally lends itself to socializing.
—Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2026
Verb
Travel + Leisure readers named the Exumas as one of the top four best islands in the Caribbean in the most recent World’s Best Awards, and the lucky few who have visited them won’t be surprised by their growing popularity.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 3 Mar. 2026
And while some degree of political stress might be expected in the lead-up to a highly consequential election, what surprised us most was how little these numbers changed over time.
—Stephen Neely, The Conversation, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for surprised
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surprised
Adjective
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And Mondragon, for his part, looked a little startled to be stopped this quickly.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Jordan was visibly startled when Davidson yelled from the auditorium as audience members gasped.—
John Ross,
Vanity Fair,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
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What amazed me the most was the remains of what appeared to be a tall conifer — possibly a cypress or cedar — on Edgar Street in Pacific Palisades, where the Palisades fire ravaged an entire street.—
Jeanette Marantos,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Prosecutors allege the gunmen tracked Bowman to Los Angeles and ambushed him at a gas station near the Beverly Center, firing at least 18 rounds from multiple weapons, including a machine gun.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Flying through blizzard conditions, his squadron was ambushed by seven Soviet fighter planes.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Those are just some examples of how Chinese startups and tech giants are rapidly expanding worldwide, one year after DeepSeek’s AI reasoning model shocked global investors.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
4 Mar. 2026
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Trenace Dorsey-Hollins, leader of the education advocacy group Parent Shield Fort Worth, said she was shocked by the news that Molinar would be replaced.—
Silas Allen,
Dallas Morning News,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Iran, Israel and the United States also have attacked oil and gas facilities since the war started, worsening supply concerns.—
Alex Veiga,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Its national oil company declared force majeure after the country’s sole oil refinery was attacked.—
Elaine Kurtenbach,
Fortune,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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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
-
He was awed by how much Jackson had grown into his stature.—
Alexandra Kukulka,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Heather Graham stunned in a striped bikini during a beach date in Mexico with Michel Civetta.—
Staff Author,
InStyle,
5 Mar. 2026
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The January operation that removed Maduro stunned both allies and adversaries, abruptly ending more than a decade of his rule and creating a power vacuum within the socialist movement.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The tragedy at first bewildered law enforcement in both states, as investigators were unsure why Miller traveled to Utah or why the three women were killed.—
Holly Yan,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Olivier tried successfully to get the reader to understand how a gentle, pacific young man could come to kill more than a thousand people, and so capturing the tone and empathetic portrayal not only of Simo Häyhä and his colleagues but also of the often-bewildered Russian soldiers was essential.—
Erik Pedersen,
Oc Register,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Surprised.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surprised. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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