by surprise
IdiomsExample Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
What caught him by surprise was the conversation around fat-phobia that accompanied the film’s release.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Strategists at Panmure Liberum led by Joachim Klement acknowledge the long-term danger posed by “excessive deficits and rising debt mountains,” but there are contingencies that might take bond markets by surprise in the next year.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026
López Beltrán’s statement also caught Sheinbaum by surprise.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Parton’s unique star quality took Hollywood’s establishment by surprise in those days.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
Her warm embrace, fragrant of expensive perfume, took me by surprise.
From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
