startling
adjective
star·tling
ˈstär-tᵊl-iŋ 
ˈstärt-liŋ
: causing fright, surprise, or astonishment
a startling discovery
startlingly
adverb
Examples of startling in a Sentence
Startling new evidence came to light during the trial.
He made a startling discovery.
It is a city of startling contrasts.
Recent Examples on the Web
The United States has released some startling statistics of its now week-long operation in Iran.
—
Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 8 Mar. 2026
Bale’s startling as a good guy who’s in danger of going bad.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2026
In a startling new op-ed in the New York Times, actress and philanthropist Daryl Hannah takes the FX series to task for its inaccurate portrayal of her.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 6 Mar. 2026
Qatar has fewer air defenses than its larger neighbors, and its energy minister, Saad al-Kaabi, made the startling claim today that all Gulf oil and gas producers could be forced to stop production within days.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for startling
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Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 8 Mar. 2026
Bale’s startling as a good guy who’s in danger of going bad.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2026
In a startling new op-ed in the New York Times, actress and philanthropist Daryl Hannah takes the FX series to task for its inaccurate portrayal of her.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 6 Mar. 2026
Qatar has fewer air defenses than its larger neighbors, and its energy minister, Saad al-Kaabi, made the startling claim today that all Gulf oil and gas producers could be forced to stop production within days.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for startling
Cite this Entry
“Startling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/startling. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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