variants
also surprized
1
as in amazed
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
Relevance
2
as in ambushed
to lie in wait for and attack by surprise
FBI agents surprised the counterfeiters in their own base of operations
Synonyms & Similar Words
variants
also surprized
as in dumfounded
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of surprised
Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 11 July 2025
The Middle East moves slowly, so don't be surprised if the new dawn everybody is talking about doesn't come to fruition.
—Daniel R. Depetris, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 2025
Nobody was more surprised at the tone shift than Teasdale herself.
—Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 10 July 2025
As many of the African leaders expressed gratitude for the invite, Trump appeared surprised when Liberia’s President Joseph Boakai spoke.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for surprised
Verb
Świątek may be surprised to be here, but Anisimova must be in total shock.
—Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 11 July 2025
The Middle East moves slowly, so don't be surprised if the new dawn everybody is talking about doesn't come to fruition.
—Daniel R. Depetris, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 2025
Nobody was more surprised at the tone shift than Teasdale herself.
—Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 10 July 2025
As many of the African leaders expressed gratitude for the invite, Trump appeared surprised when Liberia’s President Joseph Boakai spoke.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for surprised
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surprised
Verb
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Police say Perez, 21, was ambushed and shot twice by Ragan in the stairwell of a Motel Seven.—
Charles Rabin,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2025
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Once a Brink’s driver exited an armored vehicle to deliver money to a business, prosecutors said robbers ambushed them, with testimony in the case later revealing that the conspirators used assault rifles to carry out their robberies.—
Krystal Nurse,
USA Today,
27 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Subway Violence Meanwhile, the incident is the latest in a series of high-profile crimes on New York subway trains that have shocked the city.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
23 Dec. 2024
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And the art world is no different — some artists are using it to help generate work, and others are shocked by its capabilities.—
Lucy Handley,
CNBC,
23 Dec. 2024
Verb
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For the coveted shoot, the Olympic athlete stunned in a variety of looks.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
3 Jan. 2025
-
However, most were stunned at Dawn's story.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
3 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
They too would have been astonished by its subtle yet pleasant effects and its practical use.—
Wade Davis,
Rolling Stone,
6 Apr. 2025
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Former and current military fighter pilots were astonished that the Secretary of Defense texted details of the classified attack plan.—
Rick Pozniak,
Boston Herald,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Indiana State Police Troopers Amanda Parker and Jaylen Holt-Terry took their plates and sat off to the side Tuesday afternoon, awed by the history in the room.—
Michelle L. Quinn,
Chicago Tribune,
20 May 2025
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The magazine saw itself as literary but not self-serious; if the stereotypical National Geographic story was a walk through the jungle recounted in hushed, awed tones, its Outside equivalent was a little dustier, wilder, and less reverent.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
My baby will kiss my cheek, slobbery and open-mouthed—a gift marked by a thousand tiny miracles.—
Jessica Slice,
Time,
9 May 2025
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As Samuel sashays toward the camera, the Old English KES text on his upper right arm and a gigantic open-mouthed snake on his left come into frame.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Joseph Weizenbaum, a professor at MIT who devised the first chatbot in the 1960s, was astounded and deeply troubled by how readily people poured out their hearts to his program.—
Krista Stevens,
Longreads,
8 July 2025
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Simpson remembers being astounded by the number of people who turned out for a Delicious Tacos reading in Los Angeles in 2022.—
John McDermott,
Rolling Stone,
6 July 2025
Adjective
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A couple was left bewildered after discovering an unfamiliar cat helping itself to their own pet's food in a now-viral TikTok video that has left viewers on the platform in hysterics.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 June 2025
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Officials in other places that had voted overwhelmingly for President Trump but were far from the front lines of the immigration debate were simply bewildered.—
Campbell Robertson,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Surprised.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surprised. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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