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
Ilana Kaplan, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
Woods turns back a surprising challenge Chris DiMarco with a 15-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole to capture his fourth green jacket.
—Senior Editor, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 2 Mar. 2026
Black also said Carr has emerged as a leader during her junior season — surprising him.
—Ray Padilla, Louisville Courier Journal, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for surprising
Adjective
During the Saturday, April 4 episode of the Go with Elmo podcast, Ilan Rubin recalled a surprising event that allegedly occurred between Tom DeLonge and Trent Reznor.
—Ilana Kaplan, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
Woods turns back a surprising challenge Chris DiMarco with a 15-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole to capture his fourth green jacket.
—Senior Editor, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
Coastal Mississippi is constantly surprising us, but one of its most delightful surprises is the fact that some of its beaches have white sand that rivals even Florida’s top spots.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 2 Mar. 2026
Black also said Carr has emerged as a leader during her junior season — surprising him.
—Ray Padilla, Louisville Courier Journal, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for surprising
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surprising
Adjective
-
This choice makes those images that do stand in for Sasha’s line of sight all the more startling and forceful.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Those startling stats mark a stunning reversal from the post-pandemic boom.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
That honour belongs to Messi, who scored an astonishing 73 times for Barcelona in 2011-12.—
Will Jeanes,
New York Times,
15 Apr. 2026
-
What’s astonishing, though, is that at the birth of urban parkland, these refuges from urban chaos were designed with such enduring sophistication.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
-
Israel’s offensive, which lasted just over a month, was largely seen as a success for Hezbollah, with the militant group holding off Israeli advances and ambushing troops in the south of the country.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
10 Apr. 2026
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Grass lines in 8 to 15 feet of water make a perfect location for ambushing their prey and hiding from other predatory fish like muskies.—
Derek Horner,
Outdoor Life,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Zendaya and Robert Pattinson star in Kristoffer Borgli’s rug-pull rom-com, which follows a soon-to-be-married couple whose relationship implodes after a shocking revelation.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The series abruptly concluded with Lois' shocking pregnancy news and Malcolm just starting his freshman year at Harvard.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
It’s been wonderful over the five generations.—
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Bringing it back to America is wonderful.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Be sure that the rear lure always has a hook, as the bass typically key in on the ‘straggler’ when attacking a ball of bait.—
Derek Horner,
Outdoor Life,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Other offences include attacking one victim on September 20, 2006 and another one in September 2016.—
Julie Sharp,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Lightning, a running robot developed by Chinese smartphone maker Honor, finished the 21-kilometer run in Beijing in a stunning 50 minutes and 26 seconds, beating the human world record by more than six minutes.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
19 Apr. 2026
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Families can build sand castles, fly kites, or climb to the top of the dunes for a stunning sunset show, while thrill-seekers can go sand-boarding or hang gliding (permits from and/or registration with the park office are required).—
Betsy Cribb Watson,
Southern Living,
19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Surprising.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surprising. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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