take/catch somebody by surprise• In consequence, untold numbers of sailors died when their destinations suddenly loomed out of the sea and took them by surprise.• Inspector Montgomery's suddentermination of the interview had taken her by surprise initially, but now she understood his strategy.• Welch and I had a rather heatedexchange about the appropriateness of his editorialinterference, which had caught me by surprise.• He caught me by surprise and I sounded foolish.• The hugtakes him by surprise.• He rolled towards Lily, taking her by surprise.• The thought that had been waiting to be revealed, waiting to take him by surprise.• His deep voice took Romanov by surprise.
2PMATTACKto suddenly attack a place or an opponent when they are not ready 出其不意地袭击某人/某地
The guerrillas were killed when army troops took them by surprise.
游击队员在遭到军队突袭时被杀。
Examples from the Corpus
take somebody/something by surprise• Inspector Montgomery's suddentermination of the interview had taken her by surprise initially, but now she understood his strategy.• Such cheeryjobless numbers have taken everybody by surprise.• He rolled towards Lily, taking her by surprise.• Midlife never took me by surprise.• But still Hsu Fu was not satisfied or took us by surprise.• But the vehemence and anger of this responsetake her by surprise.• The thought that had been waiting to be revealed, waiting to take him by surprise.• His deep voice took Romanov by surprise.