startle 1 of 2

verb

ˈstär-tᵊl How to pronounce startle (audio)
Definition of startlenext
1
as in to amaze
to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected the lightning startled the children and sent them scurrying for cover

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to jump
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 to frighten
to strike with fear loud noises always startle her

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

startle

2 of 2

noun

as in shock

Related Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of startle
Verb
The mobile phone alert startled many across the city-state of Dubai, the first such alert since the interim ceasefire. — Collin Binkley, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026 Lansley said she has been startled by how chatbots can appear to display emotional intelligence. — ABC News, 22 June 2026
Noun
The record-scratch startle that jump-starts the dramatic arc occurs when Eleanor (Squibb) is trying to figure out what to do with herself at a Manhattan Jewish community center after recently relocating from Florida. — Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 25 Sep. 2025 Yet the combination of startle, confusion, at least nineteen warning and caution messages, inconsistent information, and lack of recent experience hand-flying the aircraft led the crew to enter a dangerous stall. — David Autor, The Atlantic, 24 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for startle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for startle
  1. amaze
  2. jump
  3. frighten
  4. shock
  5. surprise
  6. wince
  7. scare
  8. astonishment
Verb
  • For the majority of viewers who held out for the subscription streaming release rather than paying to rent or purchase, this news is amaze, amaze, amaze.
    — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • On the final day of Pride Month, here’s one final bonkers gay story to delight and amaze you.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 30 June 2026
Definition of amaze
Verb
  • How to choose vibration plates and get started Don’t jump into anything new all at once, but gradually.
    — Alexandra Frost, USA Today, 10 July 2026
  • The driver hits Leatherface in the head with a wrench, incapacitating him long enough for the driver to run away and Sally to jump into the cab of a passing pickup truck.
    — Jordana Rosenfeld, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 July 2026
Definition of jump
Verb
  • Fireworks can frighten animals and send them scattering, but Jackie and Shadow’s eaglets apparently are made of sterner stuff.
    — Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • In those moments, what frightened her most was not her own safety but the knowledge that her husband was up there somewhere, flying in the same sky swarming with fighter planes dropping their bombs on Tehran.
    — Mahsa Alimardani, Time, 6 July 2026
Definition of frighten
Noun
  • European countries are increasingly left without any cushion to manage shocks, further exacerbating their negative effects.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 11 July 2026
  • Electricity prices have skyrocketed 45% since 2019, partially driven by supply shocks tied to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and the war with Iran in 2026, according to government data.
    — Alex Harring, CNBC, 11 July 2026
Definition of shock
Verb
  • With K-pop becoming more global, which has made TWICE global sensations, Jihyo is surprised by how many collaborations K-pop artists have had with Western artists.
    — Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026
  • She was definitely received like a rock star surprising their fans.
    — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 10 July 2026
Definition of surprise
Verb
  • The original originalists, the Constitution’s framers, would have winced.
    — George F. Will, Washington Post, 1 July 2026
  • After the ensuing pitch to Max Schuemann, Skubal again winced and began pacing at the back of the mound.
    — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 25 June 2026
Definition of wince
Verb
  • Gone are the days when the racy content of a show like Love Island USA—where contestants wear next to nothing and more than one has been kicked off for questionable social media posts—would scare advertisers off.
    — Toni Fitzgerald, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026
  • Maybe two or three groups of hoaxers out there at once, bumping into each other in the dark and scaring the scales off one another.
    — Star-Telegram staff, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 July 2026
Definition of scare
Noun
  • The tournament brought more than a million visitors into the country, and a striking number of them have spent the trip documenting their astonishment at things Americans stopped seeing years ago.
    — Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
  • To the astonishment of many a Bobhead, Dylan’s guitarist Doug Lancio was replaced in Santa Barbara by Julian Lage, the youngish jazz star known for his work with Gary Burton and John Zorn.
    — Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
Definition of astonishment

Browse Nearby Words

starting
startle
startled
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Cite this Entry

“Startle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/startle. Accessed 13 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of startle for Spanish Speakers

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