be in for a (big/real) surprise

idiom

used to say that someone will be very surprised by something
They are in for a (big/real) surprise when they come home.

Examples of be in for a (big/real) surprise in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Business leaders who hope to simply focus on the health of their company’s bottom line may be in for a surprise. Expert Panel®, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024 Shoppers at California farmers markets accustomed to arrays of corn, zucchinis, homemade jams and jellies may be in for a surprise: Golden State farmers markets and ag fairs may soon add cannabis to their sales lists. Joan Oleck, Forbes, 13 Sep. 2024 Those hoping that finding a higher-paying job is the answer may be in for a surprise. Sydney Lake, Fortune, 1 Nov. 2023 Investors hoping that the Fed is nearing the end of its economy-slowing interest rate hiking campaign could be in for a surprise. Bywill Daniel, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2023 When the house wakes up, everyone will be in for a surprise. Elizabeth Berry, Woman's Day, 28 Oct. 2022 But teams themselves also might be in for a surprise, as there are a number of different ways that Day 1 could pan out. Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA TODAY, 28 Apr. 2022 People who collected unemployment benefits last year could also be in for a surprise. PEOPLE.com, 26 Jan. 2022 Looters who hit San Francisco’s fashionable Union Square during the protests may be in for a surprise — the area has nearly 430 security cameras, and video from them has been turned over to the police as evidence for arrests. Phil Matier, SFChronicle.com, 7 June 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'be in for a (big/real) surprise.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near be in for a (big/real) surprise

bein

be in for a (big/real) surprise

be (in) for the high jump

Cite this Entry

“Be in for a (big/real) surprise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/be%20in%20for%20a%20%28big%2Freal%29%20surprise. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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!