as in surprising
causing a strong emotional reaction because of unexpectedness
the startling news that my sister will be having a baby
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in amazing
to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected
the lightning startled the children and sent them scurrying for cover
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in jumping
to move suddenly and sharply (as in surprise)
the cat startled when the door slammed shut with a bang
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in frightening
to strike with fear
loud noises always startle her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of startling
Jason Ma, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2025
These tools handle everything, vocals, instruments, structure, with startling sophistication.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 26 July 2025
Their findings were even more startling: 98% of the systems were oversized by at least 200% of their heating capacity, and at least 33% oversized in cooling capacity.
—Brynn Cooksey, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025
While the air puff might be somewhat startling, the test is painless.
—Lindsay Curtis, Health, 27 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for startling
Adjective
Markets were pointing toward a rebound Sunday evening after startling jobs data delivered a rude awakening to Wall Street bulls.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2025
These tools handle everything, vocals, instruments, structure, with startling sophistication.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 26 July 2025
Their findings were even more startling: 98% of the systems were oversized by at least 200% of their heating capacity, and at least 33% oversized in cooling capacity.
—Brynn Cooksey, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025
While the air puff might be somewhat startling, the test is painless.
—Lindsay Curtis, Health, 27 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for startling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for startling
Adjective
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Climate change has made Asia’s rainy season more dangerous, experts say, and also more unpredictable: A surprising lack of rain in Japan has raised concerns about the country’s rice harvest.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
5 Aug. 2025
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The revisions, though surprising for their sheer size, were not fully unexpected.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
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On Sunday, McIlroy blew up for a double bogey on the first hole before jumping out to a massive lead.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Apr. 2025
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By jumping to agentic, Amazon can make home assistants that are capable and conversational like ChatGPT but also have a framework for communicating and controlling external services, as Alexa and Siri can.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But each was just a short hop from Tokyo, and the payoff was a deep dive into the many famous temples, shrines and amazing gastronomy of the area.—
Larry Olmsted,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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Meet the apple snail and their amazing eyes In parts of the United States, apple snails are considered an invasive species.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Jung-bae wound up in a room of three, with Player 001 and some rando — but Player 001 choked the stranger to death in time to reduce their head count, shocking Jung-bae more than a bit.—
Matt Webb Mitovich,
TVLine,
26 Dec. 2024
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Fox News Digital obtained shocking audio between Cyrus and his estranged wife where the country crooner is heard berating his Australian ex and using profane language.—
Ashley Hume,
Fox News,
26 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Because of their tiny size, these monkeys are incredible jumpers, capable of leaping up to 16 feet.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Mar. 2025
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The latter was dismissed by another leaping salmon catch by Glenn Phillips.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes,
9 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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As guests enter the suite, they are immediately struck by a feature bar and stunning views of the Las Vegas Strip with all of its glitz and glamour.—
Roger Sands,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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From Osaka to Marrakesh, Paris to Sydney, some of the world’s most attractive hotels and resorts took great care to ensure their indoor pools more than stand up to the rest of their stunning spaces.—
Kathryn Romeyn,
Architectural Digest,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Startling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/startling. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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