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- take by surprise
take by surprise
take someone by surprise
and catch someone by surpriseto startle someone; to surprise someone with something unexpected. Oh! You took me by surprise because I didn't hear you come in. Bill caught his mother by surprise by coming to the door and pretending to be selling something.
take someone or something by surprise
to startle or surprise someone or something. She bolted into the room and took them by surprise. I took the little bird by surprise, and it flew away.
take (somebody) by surprise
to do something not expected His resignation took us all completely by surprise.
take by surprise
Encounter unexpectedly, as in The rainshower took us by surprise. [Late 1600s]
Common Names:
Name | Gender | Pronounced | Usage |
Margit | | - | Hungarian, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Estonian |
Leonty | | - | Russian |
Zorica | | - | Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian |
Cybill | | SIB-əl | English (Rare) |
Eitan | | - | Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew |
Obi | | - | Western African, Igbo |