variants
also surprized
as in startled
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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
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
Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 9 Mar. 2026
Many visitors are surprised to learn there are vineyards and wineries on the edges of Rome.
—Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2026
Emma Specter, Vogue, 10 Mar. 2026
Instead, the channel aired an episode of the reality real estate program Escape to the Country, a choice that surprised audiences and royal commentators alike.
—Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for surprised
Adjective
Don’t be surprised if your bedroom space starts feeling like a posh hotel room.
—Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 9 Mar. 2026
Many visitors are surprised to learn there are vineyards and wineries on the edges of Rome.
—Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2026
Verb
What aspect of writing Whidbey surprised you the most?
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 10 Mar. 2026
Instead, the channel aired an episode of the reality real estate program Escape to the Country, a choice that surprised audiences and royal commentators alike.
—Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for surprised
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surprised
Adjective
-
The first of the three legs in an inaugural fundraiser called the Wagora Bike Ride unspools along rocky red clay roads and through rutted jeep tracks, past braying herds of zebra and startled warthogs.—
Tom Vanderbilt,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Mar. 2026
-
And Mondragon, for his part, looked a little startled to be stopped this quickly.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Melissa's rapid intensification and high winds and atypical hurricane behavior amazed even some of the more experienced scientists who study tropical cyclones, thanks in part to its journey over some exceptionally warm waters in the Caribbean.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
25 Feb. 2026
-
What amazed me the most was the remains of what appeared to be a tall conifer — possibly a cypress or cedar — on Edgar Street in Pacific Palisades, where the Palisades fire ravaged an entire street.—
Jeanette Marantos,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Gunmen ambushed and killed security personnel in Nigeria’s Plateau state.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Prosecutors allege the gunmen tracked Bowman to Los Angeles and ambushed him at a gas station near the Beverly Center, firing at least 18 rounds from multiple weapons, including a machine gun.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Their parents are shocked to see the couple living their normal lives covered in cameras.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Nobody should be shocked that the expected is now coming to pass.—
Franklin Foer,
The Atlantic,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Iran, Israel and the United States also have attacked oil and gas facilities since the war started, worsening supply concerns.—
Alex Veiga,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Its national oil company declared force majeure after the country’s sole oil refinery was attacked.—
Elaine Kurtenbach,
Fortune,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
And the second-to-none acoustics, with 10,000 state-of-the-art fiber panels that project sound throughout the theater, will leave you awed.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Feb. 2026
-
He was awed by how much Jackson had grown into his stature.—
Alexandra Kukulka,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
And how about the 2006 final when Palo Alto stunned Mater Dei 51-47 in Division II in which Jeremy Lin made a 25-foot bank shot from the top of the key.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Over the weekend, Wall abruptly pulled the plug on his Sunday night performance in Evansville, Indiana, just minutes before he was scheduled to take the stage, leaving concertgoers stunned and worried about the singer’s well-being.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
FOXNews.com,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The tragedy at first bewildered law enforcement in both states, as investigators were unsure why Miller traveled to Utah or why the three women were killed.—
Holly Yan,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Olivier tried successfully to get the reader to understand how a gentle, pacific young man could come to kill more than a thousand people, and so capturing the tone and empathetic portrayal not only of Simo Häyhä and his colleagues but also of the often-bewildered Russian soldiers was essential.—
Erik Pedersen,
Oc Register,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Surprised.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surprised. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
