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
Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2025
Both deaths feel surprising and inevitable at the same time.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 13 Oct. 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
Your ending is surprising and satisfying.
—Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2025
Both deaths feel surprising and inevitable at the same time.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 13 Oct. 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
-
Zoogoers at the San Diego Zoo witnessed the startling moment a gorilla ran up against a glass viewing platform and broke it.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
14 Oct. 2025
-
The study shows a startling pattern.—
Pranjal Malewar,
New Atlas,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Eat lunch, which comes in large portions and uses vegetables harvested on the property, on the hotel restaurant’s terrace, which has an astonishing view.—
Emilio Parra Doiztua,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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Funko, the show’s first licensing partner, has sold an astonishing 14 million Pop figures, including 1 million Demogorgons, according to Netflix.—
Kate Aurthur,
Variety,
15 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
-
Viewers on YouTube adored the amazing thrift find in the recent clip.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Todd seemed like a good guy, honest and critical of his own case, which was amazing to hear from a former prosecutor.—
Keith Sharon,
Nashville Tennessean,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The ‘Mahabharat’ enabled by AI is a wonderful example of how tradition and technology can work hand in hand.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
10 Oct. 2025
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Again and again, striking out into the unknown led to wonderful new possibilities, making my life grow larger and deeper.—
Sarah Chamberlain,
PEOPLE,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In 2023, Maggie's husband and Paul's father Alex was found guilty of their murders, after shocking revelations about his drug use, financial fraud and other criminal activity.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
13 Oct. 2025
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But with shocking vet-on-vet crime, impressive rookies, and ever-shifting alliances, there has yet to be a weak episode.—
EW Staff,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Their signature eyeshadow palette features a rainbow of enticing hues, including violet, emerald, and cobalt blue, housed in an equally stunning gold tin.—
Essence,
Essence,
15 Oct. 2025
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As if the stunning animation and rich worldbuilding weren’t enough, Arcane also has high-stakes lesbian tension — over the course of the show’s two seasons, Vi finds unexpected romance with Piltover enforcer Caitlyn (Katie Leung).—
Abby Monteil,
Them.,
15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
In a miraculous turn of events, Embrace was saved.—
Jane Marie Chen,
Time,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Its lone victory came via a miraculous last-second goal that Edmonton center Leon Draisaitl deflected into his own net.—
Jesse Granger,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Surprising.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surprising. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
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