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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
also surprizing
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in ambushing
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 surprising
Mercury News Staff, Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2026
With 5-10 junior forward Emma King taking a surprising turn in the spotlight and producing a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds, Argyle beat Mont Belvieu Barbers Hill 51-42 in the 5A Division II state final to claim its seventh state title.
—Greg Riddle, Dallas Morning News, 7 Mar. 2026
Leonor C. Suárez, Rolling Stone, 8 Jan. 2026
That was my first time successfully surprising him.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for surprising
Adjective
The 20-year-old has decided to withdraw from this month’s world championships, which historically isn’t a surprising move for Olympic champs to make.
—Mercury News Staff, Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2026
With 5-10 junior forward Emma King taking a surprising turn in the spotlight and producing a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds, Argyle beat Mont Belvieu Barbers Hill 51-42 in the 5A Division II state final to claim its seventh state title.
—Greg Riddle, Dallas Morning News, 7 Mar. 2026
Verb
The thing is, the album is already surprising us.
—Leonor C. Suárez, Rolling Stone, 8 Jan. 2026
That was my first time successfully surprising him.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for surprising
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surprising
Adjective
-
The United States has released some startling statistics of its now week-long operation in Iran.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Bale’s startling as a good guy who’s in danger of going bad.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The irony now is that, as Vance feared, American missile interceptors necessary to deter the Chinese military are being burned through at an astonishing rate—just not by the Ukrainians.—
Idrees Kahloon,
The Atlantic,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Analysts have revised their 2026 capex expectations for these tech giants to an astonishing $667 billion, a 24% increase from just the start of the earnings season and representing a 62% jump compared with 2025.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
3 Mar. 2026
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
Verb
-
Rajabi was therefore reduced to meeting Khamenei by ambushing him after evening prayers in his compound.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
1 Mar. 2026
-
The man accused of ambushing West Virginia National Guard members near the White House in November, killing one and severely wounding another, is set to be arraigned in court on Wednesday.—
Steve Beynon,
ABC News,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
News was spreading through the gym that Sage Hill had just upset Sierra Canyon 57-54 in Chatsworth in the other Open semifinal — one of the most shocking upsets in state basketball history.—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The Defense Department’s reliance on Anthropic’s AI came as a shocking realization that ultimately led to their dramatic schism, according to a top Pentagon official.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
That’s why their new album, wonderful, leaves me a little cold.—
Mano Sundaresan,
Pitchfork,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Varley’s elevation this season is a wonderful turn for Ashbourne, an icon of British film, TV, and theater who has long been one of Bridgerton’s most consistently comedic presences.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The remark, which spread quickly across news and social media, implied that Israel pushed the US into attacking.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
-
On Thursday, Azerbaijan accused Iran of attacking it with drones — though Tehran denied that.—
Jon Gambrell,
Twin Cities,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Whether looking for florals, lace, beading, or ruffles, there are lots of stunning plus-size dresses for spring weddings.—
Anna Popp,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
-
This cool texture also doubles as stunning spring nail art.—
Audrey Noble,
Vogue,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Surprising.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surprising. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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