by 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.

Apple’s price hikes caught much of the industry by surprise given their size and scope.

From Barron's • Jun. 30, 2026

Hearing about the practice took me by surprise — the farm did what with that milk? — so I asked about it again.

From Salon • Jun. 22, 2026

As NBC News and others reported, the announcement took some in law enforcement by surprise because the investigation was still ongoing and “there were still people being rounded up on a sealed federal case.”

From Slate • Jun. 19, 2026

The army says it had launched an unprecedented intelligence-led operation that had been weeks in the planning and taken the Islamist militants by surprise.

From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026

But when it finally happened, it took her by surprise.

From "The Million Dollar Shot" by Dan Gutman