1
as in surprised
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Dissimilar Words
2
as in alarmed
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in stunned
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
3
as in frightened
to strike with fear
loud noises always startle her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of startled
Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 1 June 2026
Plans first unveiled to a startled Fox News host, Laura Ingraham.
—ABC News, 17 May 2026
Dinah spilled out, at first too startled to cry.
—Stephen King, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
In the clip, the startled pup wags its tail and stands with the help of rescuers after it's pulled to safety.
—Christopher Edwards, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
The attack took place during a meeting of about 30 members of the party’s youth wing, who were startled but unharmed, Jetten said.
—Molly Quell, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
Steve Miklos remembers feeling a bit startled when former Orange Lutheran athletic director Jim Kunau contacted him about becoming the school’s softball coach.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 14 Apr. 2026
Miss Manners was only startled, not traumatized, and fortunately was able to maintain her grateful smile.
—Judith Martin, Mercury News, 13 Apr. 2026
Scared stink bugs will fall when startled, so use a container to catch them and then release them outdoors.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2026
CBS News, 1 June 2026
The scale of what is emerging in China’s northwestern desert has left even seasoned analysts startled.
—Reuters, NBC news, 29 May 2026
The voice that had so startled me belonged to our farmhand, Heisuke, a loyal but rather slow-witted man.
—Literary Hub, 28 May 2026
Littrell walked up to the man, who appeared to be startled by the singer's presence.
—Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 2 Apr. 2026
The realization that many members did not have the same connection to Israel, and even sympathized with its critics, startled her.
—Eyal Press, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
As Alpha waits for the results of blood tests, she is startled by the sudden appearance of a gaunt, jittery stranger in their apartment.
—Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
When startled, silver carp can leap several feet out of the water and injure boaters.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Some riders were mounted, while others were leading horses by hand when the startled animals broke free, the outlet said.
—Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 1 June 2026
Plans first unveiled to a startled Fox News host, Laura Ingraham.
—ABC News, 17 May 2026
Dinah spilled out, at first too startled to cry.
—Stephen King, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
In the clip, the startled pup wags its tail and stands with the help of rescuers after it's pulled to safety.
—Christopher Edwards, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
The attack took place during a meeting of about 30 members of the party’s youth wing, who were startled but unharmed, Jetten said.
—Molly Quell, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
Steve Miklos remembers feeling a bit startled when former Orange Lutheran athletic director Jim Kunau contacted him about becoming the school’s softball coach.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 14 Apr. 2026
Miss Manners was only startled, not traumatized, and fortunately was able to maintain her grateful smile.
—Judith Martin, Mercury News, 13 Apr. 2026
Scared stink bugs will fall when startled, so use a container to catch them and then release them outdoors.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2026
Verb
The blast in Indonesia's restive eastern Papua region startled locals with a thunderous boom on Sunday afternoon, emitting a ball of flames followed by a thick smoke column, according to footage broadcast on Kompas TV.
—CBS News, 1 June 2026
The scale of what is emerging in China’s northwestern desert has left even seasoned analysts startled.
—Reuters, NBC news, 29 May 2026
The voice that had so startled me belonged to our farmhand, Heisuke, a loyal but rather slow-witted man.
—Literary Hub, 28 May 2026
Littrell walked up to the man, who appeared to be startled by the singer's presence.
—Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 2 Apr. 2026
The realization that many members did not have the same connection to Israel, and even sympathized with its critics, startled her.
—Eyal Press, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
As Alpha waits for the results of blood tests, she is startled by the sudden appearance of a gaunt, jittery stranger in their apartment.
—Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
When startled, silver carp can leap several feet out of the water and injure boaters.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 21 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for startled
Adjective
-
Many beginners are surprised by how slow true zone 2 feels.—
Allison Palmer
June 2,
Sacbee.com,
2 June 2026
-
What came next surprised even her.—
Miami Dade College,
Miami Herald,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
As part of that crackdown, the FBI in January seized the electronic devices of a Washington Post reporter, a move that alarmed media organizations and advocates of press freedom.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
26 May 2026
-
Maritime users were particularly alarmed because the location data feature could counter GPS spoofing and jamming that have been occurring in waters in the Middle East, allowing boats to safely navigate despite electronic signal interference.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
They were stunned to discover thriving ecosystems made up of millimeter-sized organisms clinging to exposed rock surfaces in near-freezing darkness.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
28 May 2026
-
The villagers on the rock had ripped clothes and dirty faces, seemingly stunned that they had been found alive in the race against starvation and suffocation.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
In one particularly embarrassing incident for the agency, a man not only jumped the fence but got to the front door of the White House and entered before being apprehended.—
Matt Viser,
The Atlantic,
1 June 2026
-
Close to 80% of entertainment move-in activity between 2019 and 2026 happened outside urban cores, and median venue size jumped nearly 50% over the same period — a reflection of how dominant the larger-format concepts have become in markets where both the space and the customer base exist.—
Naveen Jaggi,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
The Lord in your convent frightened me, Jesus with his bloody palms and gaping mouth, eyes rolled back in terror.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 May 2026
-
Lee Cronin was both flattered and frightened when Jason Blum suggested titling his The Mummy reimagining as Lee Cronin’s The Mummy.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Castro, who spent the day with Mejia and often translated for her, described Mejia as awed and giddy throughout the day.—
Emiliano Tahui Gómez,
Austin American Statesman,
17 Mar. 2026
-
And the second-to-none acoustics, with 10,000 state-of-the-art fiber panels that project sound throughout the theater, will leave you awed.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
In the mid-2000s, people across America watched a man in a trench coat hand a chat-log transcript to a terrified suspect holding a six-pack of Mike’s Hard Lemonade.—
Toni Fitzgerald,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
-
Three men in Hawaii were killed within 48 hours, leaving devastated families in mourning and a terrified community on edge as police hunt for the suspect.—
Amanda Musa,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
When Alexander Graham Bell demonstrated the telephone at America’s Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876, the invention amazed the crowd.—
David H. Hsu,
Fortune,
11 May 2026
-
I'mPhaedra Trethan, amazed at these quick-thinking kids.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Startled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/startled. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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