element of surprise

noun phrase

: the unexpected or surprising character of something
The attackers were relying on the element of surprise.

Examples of element of surprise in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The element of surprise and the clean, modern style are ideal for a business look workspace. — Jamie Gold, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026 Sports doesn’t just have the element of surprise going for it, when the next moment is the one that changes everything. — Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 13 June 2026 Adding an element of surprise proved to be an effective strategy. — Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2026 Barabash says a simple, private message removes the element of surprise, which is often where reactions come from. — Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 4 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for element of surprise

Rhymes for element of surprise

See All Rhymes for element of surprise

Browse Nearby Words

elementary species
element of surprise
elements of an orbit
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Element of surprise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/element%20of%20surprise. Accessed 8 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 gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

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

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

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
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
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All