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surprise party

American  

noun

  1. a party or celebration planned for someone as a surprise.

  2. something that surprises someone.

Etymology

Origin of surprise party

First recorded in 1835–45

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This is a surprise party season for the Colts, who bounced back from a six-turnover stinkbomb to the Steelers a week ago.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 10, 2025

Becker remembers employees’ birthdays with gifts or, in the case of Biltmore public relations director Victoria King, with a surprise party on Tuesday night at a Mexican restaurant.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2024

Mr Hussain is said to have been on his way to a surprise party with family after leaving Islamabad Airport when the incident happened.

From BBC • Jan. 11, 2024

It kind of felt like a surprise party, except none of my close friends were there.

From Salon • Dec. 16, 2023

I feel bad, too, that she wasn’t at my surprise party, and that she wasn’t asked to sign my socket.

From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen

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.