* "The magician surprised the audience with his incredible levitation trick." (This sentence shows "surprise" as the action of causing astonishment or wonder.)
* "The unexpected gift surprised her." (This sentence shows "surprise" as the action of causing someone to feel unexpected emotion.)
* "The sudden downpour surprised everyone at the picnic." (This sentence shows "surprise" as the action of causing something to happen unexpectedly.)
* "I was surprised to learn that she had moved to a new city." (This sentence uses "surprise" in the passive voice, meaning the action is being done to the subject.)
The key to using "surprise" as a verb is to ensure it is the action being performed in the sentence.