startling
adjective
star·tling
ˈstär-tᵊl-iŋ 
ˈstärt-liŋ
: causing momentary 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
Studies comparing astronaut Scott Kelly, who spent a year aboard the ISS, to his twin brother Mark on Earth revealed startling differences.
—
Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2025
The clip, shared by user @itsriiriii on October 14, has amassed more than 2 million views, drawing widespread attention for its startling display of how quickly Arizona’s monsoon storms can intensify.
—Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
Trump pointed to data from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation that revealed Memphis saw an increase in violent crimes reported in 2024 – marking a startling shift from the national trend suggesting crime numbers are down throughout the country.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2025
McBride’s character, Carol, has also gone through a startling transformation.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for startling
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Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2025
The clip, shared by user @itsriiriii on October 14, has amassed more than 2 million views, drawing widespread attention for its startling display of how quickly Arizona’s monsoon storms can intensify.
—Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
Trump pointed to data from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation that revealed Memphis saw an increase in violent crimes reported in 2024 – marking a startling shift from the national trend suggesting crime numbers are down throughout the country.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2025
McBride’s character, Carol, has also gone through a startling transformation.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for startling
Cite this Entry
“Startling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/startling. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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