1
as in startling
causing a strong emotional reaction because of unexpectedness
the surprising news that they were going to have a baby had them rushing to buy nursery furniture
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in astonishing
causing wonder or astonishment
it's surprising how much knowledge of physics the architects of those immense medieval cathedrals must have had
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
also surprizing
1
as in amazing
to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected
I was very surprised when my parents offered to pay the down payment on our house
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in ambushing
to lie in wait for and attack by surprise
FBI agents surprised the counterfeiters in their own base of operations
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of surprising
Elizabeth Yuko, Flow Space, 5 June 2025
The source of Winter’s initial interest in the subject, however, is a little surprising.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 5 June 2025
Artzi also points out the machine’s stability—a surprising strong point, given its thinner 14-gauge steel.
—Sherry Kuehl, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2025
The Cardinals certainly hope that’s the case, as their rotation has been a surprising strength.
—Katie Woo, New York Times, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for surprising
Adjective
But there are no silver bullets or surprising strategies—the controllable risk factors are all the usual things doctors mention and that we’re told repeatedly are important for our overall health.
—Elizabeth Yuko, Flow Space, 5 June 2025
The source of Winter’s initial interest in the subject, however, is a little surprising.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 5 June 2025
Artzi also points out the machine’s stability—a surprising strong point, given its thinner 14-gauge steel.
—Sherry Kuehl, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2025
The Cardinals certainly hope that’s the case, as their rotation has been a surprising strength.
—Katie Woo, New York Times, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for surprising
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surprising
Adjective
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Experts warned of startling low turnout in the lead-up to the historic election because of the mind-boggling array of unfamiliar choices and the novelty of voting for judges.—
MARÍA VERZA,
Arkansas Online,
3 June 2025
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The sudden change was startling to those in the building and puzzling to those around the league.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
2 June 2025
Adjective
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This astonishing debut is a classic in the making, a story to be loved and appreciated for generations to come.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
13 June 2025
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But now imagine going further still into the realm of the astonishing, and creating not just molecules that resemble naturally occurring ones, but their exact mirror images which are not naturally found anywhere on Earth.—
Eva Amsen,
JSTOR Daily,
11 June 2025
Adjective
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Here’s a look at his amazing performance. Notes . . .—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
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Our region also has a number of other destinations that might not necessarily have the Dark Sky designation, but their clear skies, lack of light pollution, or access to astronomical instruments allow visitors to see star clusters, planets, and other amazing features of the night sky.—
Lydia Mansel,
Southern Living,
8 June 2025
Adjective
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Tanja Caldwell designed the wonderful costumes for Mara Block Ali’s Netflix series, Forever.—
Rachel Elspeth Gross,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
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My 10-year-old avocado grown from seed produced two wonderful fruits last year.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 June 2025
Verb
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Jung-bae wound up in a room of three, with Player 001 and some rando — but Player 001 choked the stranger to death in time to reduce their head count, shocking Jung-bae more than a bit.—
Matt Webb Mitovich,
TVLine,
26 Dec. 2024
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Fox News Digital obtained shocking audio between Cyrus and his estranged wife where the country crooner is heard berating his Australian ex and using profane language.—
Ashley Hume,
Fox News,
26 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Akeelah and the Bee Keke Palmer shines in her stunning breakout role as spelling genius Akeelah, an 11-year-old girl from South Los Angeles with a gift for words.—
Lesley O'Toole,
Variety,
10 June 2025
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Designed by the famed 18th-century landscape architect Capability Brown, the estate’s sprawling grounds and stunning interiors have lent their timeless elegance to countless productions.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
10 June 2025
Adjective
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Still, Maye was able to make a miraculous pass for the first down, throwing against the grain.—
Ted Nguyen,
New York Times,
2 June 2025
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The three most colossal creatures across land, sea and air within that tropical biosphere hold, in their DNA, the key to a drug that will bring miraculous life-saving benefits to humankind.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
2 June 2025
Adjective
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The incredible semblance of natural language fluency exhibited by the computational capabilities of contemporary LLMs seems to be a sure sign that the road ahead must lead to AGI/ASI.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
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The incredible two on the par 5 was just the fourth albatross at the U.S. Open in recorded history and the first since 2012 when Nick Watney made one, according to Justin Ray.—
Troy Finnegan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Surprising.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surprising. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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