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To encounter suddenly or unexpectedly; take or catch unawares.
(verb-transitive)
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To attack or capture suddenly and without warning.
(verb-transitive)
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To cause to feel wonder, astonishment, or amazement, as at something unanticipated.
(verb-transitive)
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To cause (someone) to do or say something unintended.
(verb-transitive)
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To elicit or detect through surprise.
(verb-transitive)
American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.