surprise
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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Somewhere in the North Atlantic, the floats will keep diving, drifting and surfacing - measuring a circulation that is still moving, still mysterious, and still capable of surprise.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
Germany pulled out of the project, catching French officials by surprise.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
A surprise rate hike by the Bank of Japan could certainly do a lot of damage; talk of cutting back on fiscal spending in Japan could as well.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
As one character gently chastises her, “People can surprise you, Sonny, but you have to let them.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
To his surprise, it was elderberry juice: tart and strengthening.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
War is almost always a succession of surprises, many unpleasant.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
Such negativity may allow for the market to jump on positive surprises.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
The surprises came from the rock acts brought in to re-imagine the most evocative needle drops from Anderson’s ouvre.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026
That’s a polite way of saying there were few major category surprises — and I realize many “Heated Rivalry” fans may find offensive.
From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026
It seems like everyone is full of surprises today.
From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
I would not be surprised at all if we saw another red card this time too, but I am slightly concerned where the refereeing will be at, and how VAR might impact us.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
Approaching audience members to explore their own feelings about their hair, she receives with surprised saucer eyes encouragement to embrace the braids she has.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
"I was less surprised by the differences and more surprised by some of the similarities, particularly in the ways these risks are patterned across settings," Nichols said.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 13, 2026
The chef said he understands why people might be surprised by the price, but in addition to rent, labor, utilities, equipment, maintenance and insurance, the sandwich ingredients alone cost him $12.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
I had assumed it was a spot for tourists and was surprised that Anna May frequented the place.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
This outcome wasn’t surprising, given both the complexity of the court’s ask and the marshal’s limited experience conducting these types of investigations.
From Slate ● Jul. 15, 2026
It would not be surprising if the same happened again and if it does, England will not play with the red ball until the home Ashes next summer.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
In the early 1970s, Stephen Hawking and other researchers discovered surprising connections between the laws of thermodynamics, which describe familiar processes such as heating water on a stove, and the behavior of black holes.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 13, 2026
The chocolate-covered strawberries are bright and juicy, but the bananas were a surprising favorite among everyone who tried them — and I don’t even typically like bananas.
From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026
“Is that not the most surprising thing you ever heard in your entire life, Helena?”
From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck
Vocabulary lists containing surprise
Emotions on Display
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Commonly Misspelled Words, List 6
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"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll, Chapters 1–3
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