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
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2
3
as in frightens
to strike with fear
loud noises always startle her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of startles
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
Verb
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for startles
Verb
-
Eva’s romance with her husband, Franklin Plaskett, delights and amazes her.—
Adelle Waldman,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
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What amazes me is how good human beings can be in a crisis.—
Rachel Handler,
Vulture,
21 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Pinkston player Larry Fite (01) jumps to block a shot during a Kimball High School versus Pinkston High School boys basketball playoff game at the Ellis Davis Field House in Dallas, Texas, on Mar 6, 2026.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Mar. 2026
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The opera ends with Akhnaten’s son, presumably Tutankhamun, restoring polytheism, and then, once the staging jumps millennia into the future, it’s rediscovered by modern-day tourists.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The piercing sunlight frightens her.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Like the 1987 Kurt Vonnegut novel from which the restaurant took its name, Bluebeard encourages guests to drop their guard, surround themselves with other people and try something that frightens them a little.—
USA TODAY NETWORK,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Understanding past oil shocks is important, but relying on them too heavily can encourage the wrong conclusion — that we are either headed for a 1979-style crisis or that the economic consequences will be negligible.—
Alaa Shahine Salha,
semafor.com,
11 Mar. 2026
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Experts say one option that could help tame prices at the pump is tapping the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the nation's emergency oil stockpile designed to cushion supply shocks.—
Megan Cerullo,
CBS News,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Hyundai stuns with Atlas Hyundai showcased Atlas at CES in Las Vegas last month.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Mar. 2026
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Jimenez created this look using two coats of a bronzy pearl polish accented with subtle green glitter, resulting in a finish that stuns with its simplicity.—
Kara Jillian Brown,
InStyle,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Geopolitical scares that faded and allowed oil prices to recede.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
3 Mar. 2026
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He’s also been involved in multiple injury scares to star players in the last year.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The five teams scatter to their work stations, bemoaning the 92-degree heat (no one complains about the noisy vroom vroom of the racecar driving around, which surprises me), and get to work.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
3 Mar. 2026
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The interesting question is by how much, and whether one of them surprises us.—
Patrick Iversen,
New York Times,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Aubry Bracco is the kind of player who terrifies a certain (male) demographic of Survivor alumni.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
25 Feb. 2026
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What terrifies Iran’s theocrats the most, the fear that eclipses all their fears, is the ability of the people at large to clearly see the essential realities of the present regime.—
Azadeh Moaveni,
Time,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Startles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/startles. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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