jump scare
noun
variants
or less commonly jump-scare
or jumpscare
plural jump scares also jump-scares or jumpscares
: a scripted moment (as in a film or video game) intended to startle the audience
The biggest jolts in "The Omen" … come from conventionally staged jump scares, where a nasty image suddenly flashes on the screen accompanied by a startling sound effect.—
Li Wang
Li Wang… differentiates itself from other VR [=virtual reality] horror games by not resorting to cheap jump-scares, instead flexing its brilliant visuals to build an atmospheric sense of foreboding.—Chris Button
Chris ButtonExamples of jump scare in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Even the creaky visions that start to plague him, the terrifying nightmares (jump scares ahoy, and so many of them cheap) can’t dissuade Charles from taking up Anniston on the offer.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
Darkness was a recurring theme with a jump scare waiting in almost every one of the shadows.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 5 Sep. 2025
Cue the predictable spooky mayhem as everyone battles a series of evil manifestations, including dolls, that by now feel all too familiar in their jump scares.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2025
Those over 30 remember the pain: that jump scare of dialing a phone number only to be met with the piercing sounds of a fax machine answer tone — the uninvited cousin of the dial-up modem.
—EW.com, 16 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jump scare
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Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
Darkness was a recurring theme with a jump scare waiting in almost every one of the shadows.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 5 Sep. 2025
Cue the predictable spooky mayhem as everyone battles a series of evil manifestations, including dolls, that by now feel all too familiar in their jump scares.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2025
Those over 30 remember the pain: that jump scare of dialing a phone number only to be met with the piercing sounds of a fax machine answer tone — the uninvited cousin of the dial-up modem.
—EW.com, 16 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jump scare
Cite this Entry
“Jump scare.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jump%20scare. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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