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.
And so when she hears it again, it takes her by surprise.
From Los Angeles Times • May 26, 2026
These events are a reminder of how we are completely taken by surprise, and how such short spaces of time show the limits of traditional warning systems.
From Science Daily • May 21, 2026
Since being taken by surprise leads to out-of-control feelings and defiance, Dr. Becky suggests using the phrase Totally up to you and making a visual schedule.
From Slate • May 10, 2026
That change took me by surprise, but I thought I took it really well - I really enjoyed my first weeks here and it helped me settle in well.
From BBC • May 2, 2026
This took Handsome completely by surprise, causing him to lose his balance again.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
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.
