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
Last year's unprecedented discovery of a phone was in its own way more startling than anything portrayed in that movie, O'Connell told Reuters.
—
Reuters, NBC news, 1 Mar. 2026
Nevertheless, the growth over the past few years is startling.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2026
Baz Luhrmann’s startling new movie about Elvis Presley began, the director says, with an accident.
—Mikael Wood, Twin Cities, 28 Feb. 2026
Baz Luhrmann’s startling new movie about Elvis Presley began, the director says, with an accident.
—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for startling
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Reuters, NBC news, 1 Mar. 2026
Nevertheless, the growth over the past few years is startling.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2026
Baz Luhrmann’s startling new movie about Elvis Presley began, the director says, with an accident.
—Mikael Wood, Twin Cities, 28 Feb. 2026
Baz Luhrmann’s startling new movie about Elvis Presley began, the director says, with an accident.
—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 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 6 Mar. 2026.
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