unsurprising

adjective

Definition of unsurprisingnext
as in commonplace
not causing surprise because you expected it His anger over the mix-up is unsurprising. an unsurprising fact

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar 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 unsurprising Gen Z is already more likely than older generations to use AI for therapy, medical advice, as well as for financial and investment decisions—unsurprising given that just over half of Gen Zers use AI at least weekly, according to an April survey from Gallup. — Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 28 June 2026 Suarez had also signalled his willingness to return to the national side, but his omission, given his comments about Bielsa’s management, was unsurprising. — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 28 June 2026 An illness with lingering effects That familiarity among the hunters in Missouri was unsurprising to author and conservationist Steven Rinella, host of the hunting show MeatEater. — Bram Sable-Smith, NPR, 27 June 2026 According to an overseas report by BasketNews, Denver’s backup center is prepared to sign a contract with the Lithuanian Euro League team Zalgiris Kaunas — an unsurprising development after Panathinaikos tried to lure him away from the NBA after the Nuggets traded for him last summer. — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 26 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for unsurprising
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsurprising
  1. commonplace
  2. boring
  3. ordinary
  4. stupid
  5. common
  6. slow
  7. tiring
  8. old
Adjective
  • In Crimea, where Ukrainian strikes on supply routes and infrastructure have become commonplace, gasoline is especially scarce, and power outages are routine.
    — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 15 July 2026
  • Technology has now reached the stage where small-scale, portable X-ray devices are commonplace on Earth.
    — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 14 July 2026
Definition of commonplace
Adjective
  • The couple just stole $10 million — a theft consequential enough to set the entire story in motion, yet also too boring to depict outside a brief flashback?
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 15 July 2026
  • The boring games are usually like watching paint dry and their very dedicated fans are only there for the massive parties.
    — Ticked Off, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 July 2026
Definition of boring
Adjective
  • It was made by rich landowners who owned slaves, and it was designed to protect their power, not give ordinary people a real vote.
    — Hudson Crozier, The Washington Examiner, 14 July 2026
  • Seeing Black children and their families living ordinary yet robust lives in stories undermines negative portrayals.
    — Brooke Harris Garad, The Conversation, 14 July 2026
Definition of ordinary
Adjective
  • There are plenty of videos from Yellowstone National Park involving tourists doing breathtakingly stupid things around wild animals.
    — Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 12 July 2026
  • Even when Romanzy goes off on how stupid and ugly Caleb is — and gossips that his parents abandoned him because something must be wrong with him — Mary goes along with it.
    — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 11 July 2026
Definition of stupid
Adjective
  • The movie can also be seen in more common digital formats for less.
    — Tania Azhang, Sacbee.com, 18 July 2026
  • Because the most common objection to the argument turns out to be the argument's best evidence.
    — Sachin H. Jain, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026
Definition of common
Adjective
  • After the shooting, the victim’s car was seen on surveillance footage driving in slow circles as federal agents appeared to try and stop the vehicle.
    — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 18 July 2026
  • Thus far, capital markets more broadly have been slow to respond to this threat for a variety of reasons.
    — Justin Worland, Time, 18 July 2026
Definition of slow
Adjective
  • Of course, the players were tiring, and Argentina were always going to respond, but Tuchel’s substitutions made England passive.
    — The Athletic UK Staff, New York Times, 16 July 2026
  • But just like fashion, the world of Instagrammable food proved tiring too.
    — Violet Conroy, Vogue, 15 July 2026
Definition of tiring
Adjective
  • The 19-year-old also said that France should fear Spain due to Spain’s recent success against Les Bleus.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 July 2026
  • The 29-year-old signed with San Francisco in free agency on a one-year, $12-million contract.
    — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026
Definition of old

Browse Nearby Words

unsurpassed
unsurprising
unsurprisingly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unsurprising.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsurprising. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of stalwart

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
thumbnail graphic with text word of the day quiz
Weekly "Word of the Day" Quiz See how well you know each Word of the Day for Ju...
See All