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.

West's intervention appeared to take many Labour MPs by surprise.

From BBC • May 9, 2026

The revelation caught his own engineers by surprise; they weren’t building any such product, the Journal previously reported.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026

Over the past four weeks, investors demonstrated an optimism about corporate earnings growth that has taken the bears by surprise.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026

“Catch me by surprise with your sincerity,” Sam tells her old friend, planting the seed for all that follows.

From Salon • Apr. 24, 2026

Caught by surprise, as Falkenhayn had planned, and overwhelmed by the enemy’s numbers and firepower, the French began to fall back as the Germans advanced toward the key forts of Vaux and Douaumont.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman