leap out at

verb

leaped out at or leapt out at; leaping at; leaps out at
1
: to suddenly come at (someone) from a hiding place
The man leaped out at her from behind a shrub.
2
: to immediately get the attention of (someone)
The picture on the magazine's cover leaps out at you.

Examples of leap out at in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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But the people who do these tasks are already more likely to be women than men, and the book’s hot-pink cover, which has a line drawing of a mother and child, isn’t exactly designed to leap out at the male reader. Anna Louie Sussman, The Atlantic, 7 Nov. 2025 When the doors open, on either side, the rivals will leap out at each other. Matt Alt, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Leap out at.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leap%20out%20at. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.

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