surprising 1 of 2

adjective

sər-ˈprī-ziŋ How to pronounce surprising (audio)
Definition of surprisingnext
1
as in startling
causing a strong emotional reaction because of unexpectedness the surprising news that they were going to have a baby had them rushing to buy nursery furniture

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in astonishing
causing wonder or astonishment it's surprising how much knowledge of physics the architects of those immense medieval cathedrals must have had

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

surprising

2 of 2

verb

variants also surprizing
present participle of surprise
1
as in amazing
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

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2
as in ambushing
to lie in wait for and attack by surprise FBI agents surprised the counterfeiters in their own base of operations

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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 surprising
Adjective
The drawings’ discovery was even more surprising because neither Fayet nor Redon had ever written about their existence, either in correspondence to each other or to other members of the French avant-garde. — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 26 Oct. 2026 More surprising, several critics said, was that El Califa had been the one selected. — Terrence McCoy, Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2026
Verb
What went down Dickens shared a video of himself surprising the Nature Gurlz, a beloved group of women who meet up weekday mornings to bask in the great outdoors. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 20 Aug. 2026 All that hard work turned into front-row seats, with Blanca surprising her daughter with help from a local boutique. — Lesley Marin, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for surprising
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surprising
  1. startling
  2. astonishing
  3. amazing
  4. ambushing
  5. shocking
  6. wonderful
  7. stunning
  8. attacking
Adjective
  • Miller was a startling minus-37 in plus-minus ratio for the game.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026
  • At the Shrine, though, each song was still a startling feat of storytelling — a raw wound that somehow hadn’t healed at all.
    — Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of startling
Adjective
  • In August, Lachlan Murdoch revealed that Fox News Media had added more than 400 new advertisers in its last fiscal year, an astonishing number of brands that were new to its news platforms.
    — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The fact that there is someone out there who could actually get all the real unsuspecting morons who participated in this movie to sign off on it afterwards is simply astonishing considering what they are asked to do in it.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of astonishing
Verb
  • In one camp Gao Sheng breaks a cultural norm by helping her father and uncles with a big project, amazing her relatives with her physical and mental strength.
    — Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 18 Jan. 2026
Definition of amazing
Verb
  • The man accused of ambushing two Philadelphia police officers, killing one and wounding another, now faces federal charges.
    — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Two men are facing kidnapping and robbery charges after allegedly ambushing a buyer during a Facebook Marketplace transaction in Doral.
    — Manuel Bojorquez, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of ambushing
Adjective
  • The mother of a toddler who was found breathing in a hospital morgue hours after being pronounced dead is speaking out about the shocking incident.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Sunday’s shocking loss to the Arizona Cardinals dropped Los Angeles to 2-4, and, suddenly, a team that entered the season with Super Bowl aspirations is fighting to stay in the playoff picture.
    — Andy Scholes, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of shocking
Adjective
  • An itinerary of hikes, wine tastings, and a sunset cruise offering incredible views of the Santa Barbara coastline is a wonderful way to end the day, while a cozy house with a garden will add to everyone’s enjoyment.
    — Vogue, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The improbable evening turned into a moving tribute to both Capra himself and his tale of the suicidal banker George Bailey, who comes to realize that his life has indeed been wonderful.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of wonderful
Verb
  • Footage of the fight shared online showed Williams punching Colón in the back of the head in the seventh round, apparently stunning him.
    — Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Margaret deploys this power to find Daniel and to free him from Noah and the WARDEX minions—essentially, by stunning them emotionally.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 16 June 2026
Definition of stunning
Verb
  • In July, Brown pleaded guilty to a count of affray at London’s Southwark Crown Court for attacking a music producer with a tequila bottle on the head.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The approval of Revolution Medicines’ pancreatic cancer drug Rasonque earlier this year showed that a medicine capable of attacking mutations in a group of genes called RAS could prolong survival for patients with the particularly aggressive cancer.
    — Adam Feuerstein, STAT, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of attacking

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Cite this Entry

“Surprising.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surprising. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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