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
Despite an innate gift for melodic beauty and a bedraggled voice that would rouse itself to startling intensity, he was often derailed by substance abuse issues and a deluge of releases that were clearly in need of an editor or A&R executive to prune.
—
David Browne, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2025
Perhaps more startling was the suggestion that India will never find another star who shines as brightly as Shah Rukh Khan.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 3 Oct. 2025
The anachronistic, startling tall ship and black mast, the word Dash clearly visible upon her prow, supposedly took the blasts and disappeared again.
—Leanna Renee Hieber, Big Think, 2 Oct. 2025
The improvement in his performance from two weeks ago until now is startling.
—Josh Yohe, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for startling
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
David Browne, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2025
Perhaps more startling was the suggestion that India will never find another star who shines as brightly as Shah Rukh Khan.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 3 Oct. 2025
The anachronistic, startling tall ship and black mast, the word Dash clearly visible upon her prow, supposedly took the blasts and disappeared again.
—Leanna Renee Hieber, Big Think, 2 Oct. 2025
The improvement in his performance from two weeks ago until now is startling.
—Josh Yohe, New York Times, 2 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 5 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share