surprised 1 of 2

adjective

variants also surprized
Definition of surprisednext
as in startled

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surprised

2 of 2

verb

variants also surprized
past tense of surprise
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
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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of surprised
Adjective
Helen and Bob were surprised when Andrew decided to go into the military. — Ron Farina, Hartford Courant, 1 Nov. 2026 Gillies was surprised to learn in researching the docu that the programmers came up with a rating system for calculating the relative weight of insults. — Will Tizard, Variety, 1 Nov. 2026
Verb
On Monday in Las Vegas, as SEMA kicked off Head of American Brands for Stellantis Tim Kuniskis surprised everyone with the debut of the Jeep Wrangler Scrambler SRT Concept with, among other things, independent front suspension. — Joel Feder, The Drive, 3 Nov. 2026 And you’d be surprised how people who think very differently can still find a point of commonality and can build trust. — Mark Guiducci, Vanity Fair, 30 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for surprised
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surprised
  1. startled
  2. amazed
  3. ambushed
  4. awed
  5. shocked
  6. attacked
  7. bewildered
  8. stunned
Adjective
  • The rights have remained in the family, so Hreljanovic was startled to find, a few years ago, that the film was streaming on Shudder, the horror site, and that DVDs were selling on Amazon.
    — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Officials who appear loyal today might withhold cooperation from a startled regime, engage in a power struggle, or defect en masse.
    — Jieun Baek, Foreign Affairs, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of startled
Verb
  • The 2026 guide has 29 new gems; that number includes a few places that had formerly dropped off the list but now return, having amazed us once again.
    — Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Larry remarks, amazed all these years later by this odd before-they-were-stars encounter.
    — Blake J. Harris, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of amazed
Verb
  • The vote took place almost three months to the day after four police officers in their squad cars wrongfully ambushed my wife and me after using Flock cameras to track us for days.
    — Joel Feder, The Drive, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The men were returning to camp from a visit to a supermarket when they were ambushed by armed gang members east of Port-au-Prince.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of ambushed
Adjective
  • The syrupy strings, treacly piano and awed choral vocals conjure an atmosphere of strained enchantment, suggesting a film burdened by fatal amounts of whimsy and emotional manipulation.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Related Articles The runway appearance of both Hosk and Palvin has set the internet aflame, with awed viewers commending the new moms and calling attention to the indelible power of women.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of awed
Verb
  • The case shocked her community and the fight to convict her killer proved difficult.
    — Madeleine Janz, PEOPLE, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Theiss’ wife filed a police complaint alleging that the men were shocked while trying to get out of the pool and drowned, NDTV reported.
    — Jessica Mekles, FOXNews.com, 31 Oct. 2026
Definition of shocked
Verb
  • Once in sight of land at last, the ship is attacked (by the French, as this is during the French and Indian War), with consequences falling hardest on the Clems.
    — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Second, during a July test, OpenAI agents attacked Hugging Face systems in a move unrelated to its task.
    — Stephen Pitt-Walker, Forbes.com, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of attacked
Adjective
  • For the first 12 minutes, the Bulls watched Brunson with the bewildered air of a student who forgot to study for a test.
    — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The Heat awoke Tuesday as the NBA’s only 0-4 team and thoroughly bewildered about how a group that fashioned itself a contender could continue to perform so poorly.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of bewildered
Verb
  • If the Scots get stunned by Smith and Richland can defeat Carrollton Turner, then Highland Park and Richland will be co-champions with Highland Park taking the first seed and Richland the second.
    — Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Nov. 2026
  • His rare death resulting from an impact in a game has stunned the world of soccer.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of stunned

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Cite this Entry

“Surprised.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surprised. Accessed 12 Nov. 2026.

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