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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of surprising
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2025
This is surprising, given philosophy’s very nature.
—Shai Tubali, Big Think, 30 Sep. 2025
Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025
Detroit rapper Kash Doll pulled out all the stops for her boyfriend, NFL star Za’Darius Smith’s 33rd birthday, surprising him with a custom ride that has fans talking.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for surprising
Adjective
The result is an immersive, urgent, playful, and devastating film that, while experimenting with genre and time, finds surprising commonalities between Brazil 50 years ago and the world today.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2025
This is surprising, given philosophy’s very nature.
—Shai Tubali, Big Think, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
After tense standoffs with Mallory (Crystle Stewart) and Horace's ex-wife, Olivia (Debbi Morgan), Kimmie enters the meeting and promptly takes it over, surprising the family with her mind for numbers.
—Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025
Detroit rapper Kash Doll pulled out all the stops for her boyfriend, NFL star Za’Darius Smith’s 33rd birthday, surprising him with a custom ride that has fans talking.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for surprising
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surprising
Adjective
-
The sequence of events is startling.—
David French,
Mercury News,
30 Sep. 2025
-
The startling rise comes as concerned residents are preparing to cast their ballots in the city’s upcoming mayoral race.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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For decades, scientists have wondered whether quantum mechanics plays a role in this astonishing efficiency.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Oct. 2025
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New analysis highlighted the astonishing economic cost of AI data centers’ power demands.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The offense also turned in another strong performance, ambushing Scherzer for three runs out of the gate before later getting home runs from Masataka Yoshida and Carlos Narvaez to turn the game into a rout.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
25 Sep. 2025
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The entertainment giant accused Sling TV’s parent of ambushing it with the offering, allegedly without consultation, to capitalize on the starts of the college football and NFL seasons.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
This has been my go-to spot for years, and the owners are amazing people.—
Carlos Rico,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Sep. 2025
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That stuff is so random, and there’s so many amazing bands that no one ever listens to.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Skor bars are a nonnegotiable addition; the cookies have the perfect toffee-to-chocolate ratio and wonderful texture.—
The Bon Appétit Staff,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
3 Oct. 2025
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Today’s tech news follows; have a wonderful weekend.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The legacy trade preference program lapsed Tuesday without a renewal from Congress, shocking some and disappointing many, including lawmakers, importers and the Sub-Saharan African (SSA) exporters and heads of state who have been lobbying with mounting fervor for an extension.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
30 Sep. 2025
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Two months after catastrophic flooding killed 27 girls and counselors at Camp Mystic, the famed Texas camp plans to reopen – shocking some family members who still don’t know where their loved one is.—
Holly Yan,
CNN Money,
24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
But the leader whose imprint set the DNA for Intel’s corporate culture, and that of early Silicon Valley writ large, was Andy Grove, one of the company’s first employees, who became Intel’s third CEO in 1987 and oversaw stunning growth at the company.—
Lila MacLellan,
Fortune,
1 Oct. 2025
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Amal appeared alongside her husband on the red carpet in a stunning red velvet Oscar de la Renta mini-dress decked out in floral embellishments.—
Amy McCarthy,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Inter reaching two Champions League finals in the past three seasons is nothing short of miraculous — particularly given the club got repossessed by the investment firm Oaktree just over a year ago.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
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In a miraculous turn of events, one of Whitefield’s closest friends and greatest promoters becomes none other than Benjamin Franklin.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Surprising.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surprising. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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