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Showing results for by surprise.
Definitions

by surprise

ADVERB
short
Synonyms
STRONG
suddenly unawares
WEAK
aback forthwith sudden unanticipatedly unaware unexpectedly without delay without hesitation without warning
ADVERB
unawares
Synonyms
STRONG
short
WEAK
aback abruptly accidentally by accident by mistake carelessly ignorantly inadvertently mistakenly off guard sudden surprisingly unconsciously unexpectedly unintentionally unknowingly unprepared unready unwittingly
Antonyms
WEAK
consciously knowingly

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.

Maybe the furnace needs replacing, a medical bill arrives out of the blue, or an education expense catches you by surprise.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 23, 2026

The collapse of Florida’s citrus industry, he told me, took everyone by surprise.

From Slate • Apr. 20, 2026

The audience should be taken by surprise and realize, in the middle of their laughter, just how truly clever the joke is, causing them to laugh even harder.

From Salon • Apr. 9, 2026

Christine said she was walking with her husband and baby in Clapham High Street when she saw hundreds of young people, adding: "I think it took everyone by surprise."

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

Horses permitted people possessing them to cover far greater distances than was possible on foot, to attack by surprise, and to flee before a superior defending force could be gathered.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond