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.

The four-time champion spun off and crashed at Turn One on his first lap of the session when his rear axle locked, catching him by surprise.

From BBC

Judge Katz told the court he was satisfied the defendant was "taken by surprise" as soon as he put the vehicle in motion, and added it was accepted he used the accelerator, believing it was the brake.

From BBC

The war in Iran caught many people by surprise, including hundreds of traveling Americans.

From Salon

But what has taken the public by surprise is the fervor with which the audience has consumed Jacob Tierney’s adaptation of author Rachel Reid’s hockey romances – and rewatched those episodes, many times.

From Salon

Even though Leah praised her sisters in the papers as “the most perfect known mediums,” their arrival in Cleveland had caught Leah entirely by surprise.

From Literature