unsurprising

adjective

un·​sur·​pris·​ing ˌən-sər-ˈprī-ziŋ How to pronounce unsurprising (audio)
ˌən-sə-
Synonyms of unsurprisingnext
: not surprising or unexpected
… the unsurprising result of carefully hatched plans …—David von Drehle

Examples of unsurprising in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Raiders general manager John Spytek and minority owner Tom Brady have been advocates about letting a rookie develop behind a veteran quarterback, which makes the team's decision to roll with Cousins unsurprising. — Ryan Canfield Outkick, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2026 That focus on continuity is perhaps unsurprising given that Ternus, at 51, has spent 25 years climbing Apple’s corporate ladder. — Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026 But there were unsurprising decisions, as well, like the Lions opting for veteran quarterback Josh Dobbs instead of undrafted rookie Luke Altmyer, who was the biggest-name cut of the day. — Christian Romo, Freep.com, 31 Aug. 2026 Advertisement Barrocas’s praise of his boss is, of course, unsurprising. — Charlie Campbell, Time, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unsurprising

Word History

First Known Use

1671, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unsurprising was in 1671

Rhymes for unsurprising

See All Rhymes for unsurprising

Browse Nearby Words

unsurprised
unsurprising
unsurprisingly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unsurprising.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unsurprising. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on unsurprising

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for unsurprising

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gist

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All