startled; startling
ˈstärt-liŋ 
ˈstär-tᵊl-iŋ
: to move or jump suddenly (as in surprise or alarm)
the baby startles easily
: to frighten or surprise suddenly and usually not seriously
: a sudden mild shock (as of surprise or alarm)
Synonyms
Examples of startle in a Sentence
Verb
I'm sorry that I startled you.
the lightning startled the children and sent them scurrying for cover
Recent Examples on the Web
Ray Sanchez, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
In April 2021, Walker’s great-granddaughter, Brandi Faison, came by to give her Nannie a pedicure and was startled by the sight of her feet — hardened, yellow and cracking, with thick, curling toenails three to four times their normal length.
—Christopher Rowland, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2024
Detroit Animal Control also warns that wild cats often crawl inside of cars to keep warm by the engine; to give them a chance to escape before starting the engine, knock on the hood of the car or honk the horn to startle them out of place.
—Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 19 Jan. 2024
Never run or make any loud noises or sudden movements, as this could startle these creatures, which are typically nonaggressive until frightened.
—Madeline Nguyen, The Arizona Republic, 22 Mar. 2024
The announcement startled Ryan, who began striding toward the door holding a hula hoe, the claim states.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2024
Though initially startled, the Players star quickly recovers after landing on the floor.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 10 Mar. 2024
Read Next Rattlesnake startles 78-year-old hiker and bites her on ankle, Arizona hospital says
February 20, 2024 12:31 PM
Read Next
‘Cranky’ venomous snake was ‘wandering in and out’ of home.
—Daniella Segura, Sacramento Bee, 20 Feb. 2024
Arora has seen a lot in his career, but all this startled him and begged further scrutiny.
—Charles Bethea, The New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2024
Lauren Leffer, Scientific American, 23 Jan. 2024
For very small babies, swaddling the arms is effective at reducing their startle reflex—which can be disruptive to sleep.
—Samson McDougall, Parents, 8 Sep. 2023
When he was told the shot was in, his eyes opened with a startle, then fell toward the floor.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 10 July 2023
Swaddling also helps prevent babies' natural startle reflex from waking them up, and having their arms held down keeps them from scratching themselves with their razor-sharp little newborn nails.
—Jessica Hartshorn, Good Housekeeping, 22 Feb. 2023
An exaggerated startle response and hypervigilance.
—Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press, 16 Feb. 2023
Henning and Muche let out a startle, however, when a beaver struck the bottom of their canoe.
—Paul A. Smith, Journal Sentinel, 2 Oct. 2022
And while Levins, 32, of Frankfort, acknowledged the animals may play into some people’s phobias, a startle can be the start of a conversation with one of Crosstown’s handlers.
—Bill Jones, chicagotribune.com, 11 Oct. 2021
Those penguins themselves had something of the startle of art — the reveal of the ever-present real that’s hidden, paradoxically, by information.
—New York Times, 8 July 2020
Verb
In some parts of the New York City area, startled residents spilled out from tenements and row houses onto the sidewalks in front of their buildings in the minutes after the shaking stopped.
—Ray Sanchez, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
In April 2021, Walker’s great-granddaughter, Brandi Faison, came by to give her Nannie a pedicure and was startled by the sight of her feet — hardened, yellow and cracking, with thick, curling toenails three to four times their normal length.
—Christopher Rowland, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2024
Detroit Animal Control also warns that wild cats often crawl inside of cars to keep warm by the engine; to give them a chance to escape before starting the engine, knock on the hood of the car or honk the horn to startle them out of place.
—Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 19 Jan. 2024
Never run or make any loud noises or sudden movements, as this could startle these creatures, which are typically nonaggressive until frightened.
—Madeline Nguyen, The Arizona Republic, 22 Mar. 2024
The announcement startled Ryan, who began striding toward the door holding a hula hoe, the claim states.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2024
Though initially startled, the Players star quickly recovers after landing on the floor.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 10 Mar. 2024
Read Next Rattlesnake startles 78-year-old hiker and bites her on ankle, Arizona hospital says
February 20, 2024 12:31 PM
Read Next
‘Cranky’ venomous snake was ‘wandering in and out’ of home.
—Daniella Segura, Sacramento Bee, 20 Feb. 2024
Arora has seen a lot in his career, but all this startled him and begged further scrutiny.
—Charles Bethea, The New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2024
Noun
Vasas and her colleagues also captured the brief startle display of a black swallowtail caterpillar and saw for the first time that its hornlike defense appendages are UV-reflective.
—Lauren Leffer, Scientific American, 23 Jan. 2024
For very small babies, swaddling the arms is effective at reducing their startle reflex—which can be disruptive to sleep.
—Samson McDougall, Parents, 8 Sep. 2023
When he was told the shot was in, his eyes opened with a startle, then fell toward the floor.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 10 July 2023
Swaddling also helps prevent babies' natural startle reflex from waking them up, and having their arms held down keeps them from scratching themselves with their razor-sharp little newborn nails.
—Jessica Hartshorn, Good Housekeeping, 22 Feb. 2023
An exaggerated startle response and hypervigilance.
—Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press, 16 Feb. 2023
Henning and Muche let out a startle, however, when a beaver struck the bottom of their canoe.
—Paul A. Smith, Journal Sentinel, 2 Oct. 2022
And while Levins, 32, of Frankfort, acknowledged the animals may play into some people’s phobias, a startle can be the start of a conversation with one of Crosstown’s handlers.
—Bill Jones, chicagotribune.com, 11 Oct. 2021
Those penguins themselves had something of the startle of art — the reveal of the ever-present real that’s hidden, paradoxically, by information.
—New York Times, 8 July 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'startle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Startle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/startle. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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