| No. | Item | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | abruptly | suddenly and unexpectedly |
| 2. | against all expectations | contrary to all expectations |
| 3. | against expectations | contrary to what was expected |
| 4. | all at once | suddenly, without warning |
| 5. | all of a sudden | very suddenly and unexpectedly |
| 6. | amazingly | in a way that amazes |
| 7. | as it happens | as it turns out |
| 8. | as it turned out | as events showed |
| 9. | as it turns out | as the result shows |
| 10. | astonishingly | in a very surprising way |
| 11. | bafflingly | in a confusing, surprising way |
| 12. | believe it or not | whether or not you believe |
| 13. | bewilderingly | in a very confusing way |
| 14. | completely unexpectedly | in a totally unexpected way |
| 15. | confoundingly | in a perplexing way |
| 16. | contrary to all expectations | not as anyone expected |
| 17. | contrary to expectations | not as expected |
| 18. | counterintuitively | against what seems intuitive |
| 19. | curiously | in a way that arouses curiosity |
| 20. | dramatically | to a striking extent |
| 21. | entirely unexpectedly | completely unexpectedly |
| 22. | exceptionally | to an unusually high degree |
| 23. | extraordinarily | to an unusual degree |
| 24. | from nowhere | appearing unexpectedly |
| 25. | funnily | in a strange or ironic way |
| 26. | funny enough | oddly, as it happens |
| 27. | hard to believe | difficult to accept as true |
| 28. | hardly believable | difficult to believe |
| 29. | improbably | in an unlikely way |
| 30. | incongruously | in an out-of-place way |
| 31. | incredibly | to an almost unbelievable degree |
| 32. | inexplicably | in a hard-to-explain way |
| 33. | ironically | in an unexpected, ironic way |
| 34. | most unexpectedly | very unexpectedly |
| 35. | much to everyone’s surprise | far more than expected |
| 36. | much to my surprise | far more than I expected |
| 37. | much to our surprise | far more than we expected |
| 38. | mysteriously | in a puzzling, surprising way |
| 39. | oddly | in a curious, unexpected way |
| 40. | out of left field | from an unexpected direction |
| 41. | out of nowhere | appearing unexpectedly |
| 42. | out of the blue | without warning or expectation |
| 43. | paradoxically | in a seemingly contradictory way |
| 44. | peculiarly | in a peculiar, unexpected way |
| 45. | perplexingly | in a puzzling way |
| 46. | phenomenally | to an exceptional degree |
| 47. | puzzlingly | in a puzzling way |
| 48. | queerly | in a strange way |
| 49. | quite unexpectedly | in a very unexpected way |
| 50. | rather unexpectedly | somewhat unexpectedly |
| 51. | remarkably | to a notable, surprising degree |
| 52. | shockingly | in a way that shocks |
| 53. | singularly | in a notably unusual way |
| 54. | spectacularly | in an impressive, surprising way |
| 55. | startlingly | in a sudden, surprising way |
| 56. | strangely | in an odd, surprising way |
| 57. | strikingly | in a noticeable, surprising way |
| 58. | stunningly | in a striking, surprising way |
| 59. | suddenly | happening without warning |
| 60. | surrealistically | in an unreal, surprising way |
| 61. | to everyone’s amazement | to everyone’s great amazement |
| 62. | to everyone’s astonishment | to everyone’s great surprise |
| 63. | to everyone’s disbelief | to everyone’s great surprise |
| 64. | to everyone’s great surprise | to everyone’s strong surprise |
| 65. | to everyone’s shock | to everyone’s strong surprise |
| 66. | to everyone’s surprise | contrary to general expectations |
| 67. | to everyone’s utter surprise | to everyone’s complete surprise |
| 68. | to my amazement | to my great amazement |
| 69. | to my astonishment | to my great surprise |
| 70. | to my disbelief | to my great surprise |
| 71. | to my great surprise | to my strong surprise |
| 72. | to my shock | to my strong surprise |
| 73. | to my surprise | contrary to what I expected |
| 74. | to my utter surprise | to my complete surprise |
| 75. | to our amazement | to our great amazement |
| 76. | to our astonishment | to our great surprise |
| 77. | to our disbelief | to our great surprise |
| 78. | to our great surprise | to our strong surprise |
| 79. | to our shock | to our strong surprise |
| 80. | to our surprise | contrary to what we expected |
| 81. | to our utter surprise | to our complete surprise |
| 82. | unaccountably | for no clear reason |
| 83. | unanticipatedly | in an unanticipated way |
| 84. | unbelievably | to a hard-to-believe degree |
| 85. | unexpectedly | in an unanticipated way |
| 86. | unforeseenly | in an unforeseen way |
| 87. | unlikely as it seems | despite seeming unlikely |
| 88. | unpredictably | in an unpredictable way |
| 89. | unusually | in an uncommon way |
| 90. | who would have thought | expressing unexpectedness |
| 91. | without any notice | with no notice at all |
| 92. | without any warning | with no warning at all |
| 93. | without expecting it | not having anticipated it |
| 94. | without forewarning | without advance warning |
| 95. | without notice | with no prior warning |
| 96. | without preamble | without introduction or warning |
| 97. | without prior warning | with no earlier warning |
| 98. | without warning | with no prior notice |
| 99. | would you believe | can you believe it |
| 100. | you wouldn’t believe it | it is hard to believe |