surprising 1 of 2

adjective

sər-ˈprī-ziŋ How to pronounce surprising (audio)
Definition of surprisingnext
1
as in startling
causing a strong emotional reaction because of unexpectedness the surprising news that they were going to have a baby had them rushing to buy nursery furniture

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in astonishing
causing wonder or astonishment it's surprising how much knowledge of physics the architects of those immense medieval cathedrals must have had

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

surprising

2 of 2

verb

variants also surprizing
present participle of surprise
1
as in amazing
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

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2
as in ambushing
to lie in wait for and attack by surprise FBI agents surprised the counterfeiters in their own base of operations

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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 surprising
Adjective
This is not a surprising metric, given the exodus of major studios like Marvel and Lucasfilm, which have moved virtually all high-budget production overseas including for the upcoming Avengers films. — Katie Campione, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2026 Tonight's surprising result is merely the latest in a long string of right-wing victories across Latin America, which has recently ushered in a red wave of conservative candidates in Chile, Argentina, Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia. — David Unsworth, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Verb
All that hard work turned into front-row seats, with Blanca surprising her daughter with help from a local boutique. — Lesley Marin, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026 Jill Linnett from Lake Wylie, South Carolina, likes surprising her little ones with humorous messages written in chalk markers on their sandwich containers. — Sarah Scott, Parents, 8 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for surprising
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surprising
  1. startling
  2. astonishing
  3. amazing
  4. ambushing
  5. shocking
  6. wonderful
  7. stunning
  8. attacking
Adjective
  • Wen shows us the startling range of what the body can emote even when trauma renders words inaccessible.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Cornell engineering professor Rob Shepherd sought to design a large, silent underwater robot to monitor ocean health without startling marine life.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of startling
Adjective
  • OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, had recently disclosed astonishing details about how its artificial intelligence agents had broken out of their systems, hacked into another company and tried to cover their tracks.
    — Gerrit De Vynck, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Beyond attempting to smooth the industry’s many ruffled feathers, Hollywood’s newest mogul must now also wrestle down an astonishing $80 billion in debt accrued as a result of this highly leveraged merger.
    — Stacy Perman, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of astonishing
Verb
  • In one camp Gao Sheng breaks a cultural norm by helping her father and uncles with a big project, amazing her relatives with her physical and mental strength.
    — Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 18 Jan. 2026
Definition of amazing
Verb
  • Hansen, who left NBC in 2013 but remains a leader in the pervert-ambushing space, has spoken about having considered a sting operation against Jeffrey Epstein in 2015.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2026
  • However, officials have yet to determine exactly what type of animal is ambushing the unsuspecting humans.
    — Julia Gomez, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of ambushing
Adjective
  • The officers shared the shocking recording Wednesday in hopes of identifying the driver, whose license plate cannot be discerned in the clip.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • With a little bit of separation from the shocking and utterly devastating news of Dolly the late singer’s death, a clearer view of what actually happened to Parton is starting to emerge.
    — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of shocking
Adjective
  • There is a wonderful museum in the park that interactively showcases the landscape and cultural history of the Chacabuco Valley as well as this part of the region's ecological loss and path to recovery.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Howell and Sloyan are quite wonderful in these moments, and Howell is exceptional throughout.
    — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of wonderful
Verb
  • Footage of the fight shared online showed Williams punching Colón in the back of the head in the seventh round, apparently stunning him.
    — Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Margaret deploys this power to find Daniel and to free him from Noah and the WARDEX minions—essentially, by stunning them emotionally.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 16 June 2026
Definition of stunning
Verb
  • Murtis of the goddess Durga depict her astride a lion and attacking Mahishasura.
    — Tamanna Nangia, Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The president appeared to be attacking Andrews, a biological woman, over her alleged support of gender transitions for minors and transgender athletes in women’s sports.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of attacking

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Cite this Entry

“Surprising.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surprising. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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