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
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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
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 22 July 2025
When the owner of Fiola in Coral Gables announced in May that the restaurant was closing, longtime customers were surprised.
—Connie Ogle
july 21, Miami Herald, 21 July 2025
Schneider was not surprised at the criticism and fear of ICE.
—Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 21 July 2025
The room burst into laughter, and Laura gave a surprised grin.
U.S.A.I.D., Laura’s agency, was one of the first to be gutted.
—Sadie Dingfelder, New Yorker, 21 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for surprised
Verb
The cuts that eventually resulted surprised economists as inflation stayed under control for a time—but the surge in 2021 was the biggest since the early 1980s.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 22 July 2025
When the owner of Fiola in Coral Gables announced in May that the restaurant was closing, longtime customers were surprised.
—Connie Ogle
july 21, Miami Herald, 21 July 2025
Schneider was not surprised at the criticism and fear of ICE.
—Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 21 July 2025
The room burst into laughter, and Laura gave a surprised grin.
U.S.A.I.D., Laura’s agency, was one of the first to be gutted.
—Sadie Dingfelder, New Yorker, 21 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
-
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
-
The Context The incident is the latest in series of high-profile crimes on New York subway trains that have shocked the city.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
23 Dec. 2024
Verb
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However, most were stunned at Dawn's story.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
3 Jan. 2025
-
For the coveted shoot, the Olympic athlete stunned in a variety of looks.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
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
-
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
-
An hour later, Jess stood atop a cement terrace, awed by the sea of chatter, laughter and shouts that swamped the plaza.—
Bennet Goldstein,
jsonline.com,
4 July 2025
-
In Wakanda Forever, Riri was a breath of fresh air, playing the awed but capable tourist in a grieving, technologically advanced nation.—
Stacia Brown,
Vulture,
25 June 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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This run – and the exhausted, bewildered looks on the players’ faces throughout it – has no doubt shaped Inter’s odds to win away to Barcelona, which look pretty close to long shot territory.—
Sam Tighe,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2025
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In the two years since Tommy Elliott was killed in a mass shooting, Maryanne’s grief has, in turns, left her aghast and overwhelmed, bewildered and incapacitated, grateful and wanting to die.—
Kristina Goetz,
USA Today,
13 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Surprised.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surprised. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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