Taken by surprise is a phrase used to describe the feeling of being unexpectedly caught off guard. The term can be broken down into two crossword solutions: STARTLE (7 letters) and Caughtunawares (14 letters). STARTLE is defined as to cause someone to suddenly feel shock or alarm, while Caughtunawares means to be taken unawares, or to be surprised by something. Taken by surprise is an expression that is used to describe the feeling of being unexpectedly shocked or alarmed.