Synonyms of startles

startles 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of startle

1

as in amazes

to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected

the lightning startled the children and sent them scurrying for cover

Synonyms & Similar Words

• amazes
• stuns
• surprises
• shocks
• astonishes
• astounds
• rocks
• stupefies
• flabbergasts
• dumbfounds
• bewilders
• perplexes
• bowls over
• confuses
• disconcerts
• takes by surprise
• befuddles
• dazes
• dismays
• takes aback
• thunderstrikes
• blindsides
• discomfits
• floors
• confounds
• blows away
• muddles
• shakes up
• nonpluses
• jars
• knocks for a loop

2

as in jumps

to move suddenly and sharply (as in surprise)

the cat startled when the door slammed shut with a bang

Synonyms & Similar Words

• jumps
• winces
• cringes
• leaps
• flinches
• starts
• twitches
• jerks
• bolts
• recoils
• jolts
• reacts
• responds
• springs
• shrinks
• spooks
• bounds
• blenches
• quails
• squinches

3

as in frightens

to strike with fear

loud noises always startle her

Synonyms & Similar Words

• frightens
• scares
• terrifies
• horrifies
• shocks
• spooks
• terrorizes
• panics
• shakes
• alarms
• frights
• affrights
• amazes
• appalls
• scarifies
• gives one the creeps
• distracts
• jolts
• astounds
• dismays
• awes
• unsettles
• makes one's flesh creep
• unnerves
• worries
• disturbs
• disconcerts
• daunts
• bowls over
• shakes up
• disquiets
• perturbs
• emasculates
• upsets
• distresses
• unmans
• undoes
• demoralizes
• dispirits
• floors
• discomforts
• psychs (out)
• unstrings
• chills
• discomposes

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• reassures
• assures
• cheers
• soothes
• comforts
• encourages
• inspires
• consoles
• heartens
• emboldens
• solaces
• steels

startles

2 of 2

noun

plural of startle

as in shocks

Related Words

• shocks
• dismays
• astonishments
• amazements
• awes
• surprises
• bewilderments
• consternations
• startlements
• discomfitures
• stupefactions
• wonders
• wonderments
• confusions

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of startles

Verb

Missile warning startles Dubai Earlier on Friday, a missile warning in the United Arab Emirates caused by a technical glitch underscored the ongoing tensions in the region, following the attack on the cargo vessel and Israeli strikes in Lebanon over the past few days. — Collin Binkley, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026

The combination of flashing light and movement startles them. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 11 June 2026

If hypotheticals about what could have been are a good dream for New York Knicks fans, then Mikal Bridges is the alarm clock that startles them awake. — James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026

The project, which Steinberger has rebranded multiple times—evolving from Clawdbot to Moltbot and finally to OpenClaw—largely owing to politics—has expanded at a pace that startles even seasoned AI experts. — Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2026

As the dolphin gets closer to the glass, the Chihuahua lets out a bark that startles the dolphin, who then starts mimicking the dog's mouth movements in a sort of chasing game across species. — Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025

That aural reminder punctuates my days now, and frequently startles me. — Rob Mank, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Apr. 2025