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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of startling
Rory Satran, Vogue, 28 Apr. 2026
Federal regulators are ordering a review of all of ABC’s station licenses, a startling move that has drawn alarm from free speech advocates and could lead to a legal battle with Disney, ABC’s parent company.
—Rebecca Schneid, Time, 28 Apr. 2026
Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Hauge called that startling, given that court filing fees alone cost just as much.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for startling
Adjective
Models, modeling agents, casting directors, and designers are all noting a startling return to skinniness on the runway.
—Rory Satran, Vogue, 28 Apr. 2026
Federal regulators are ordering a review of all of ABC’s station licenses, a startling move that has drawn alarm from free speech advocates and could lead to a legal battle with Disney, ABC’s parent company.
—Rebecca Schneid, Time, 28 Apr. 2026
Verb
Some cyclists sped by pretty quickly, startling us and our dog.
—Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Hauge called that startling, given that court filing fees alone cost just as much.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for startling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for startling
Adjective
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The troop withdrawal is hardly surprising, said Michał Matlak, a senior fellow at the European University Institute and director of the Institute for Innovation and Technology in Warsaw.—
Yuliya Talmazan,
NBC news,
2 May 2026
-
One of the most pleasantly surprising things about visiting the Florida Keys is seeing how many attractions allow for four-legged visitors accompanying their humans.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 May 2026
Verb
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In one camp Gao Sheng breaks a cultural norm by helping her father and uncles with a big project, amazing her relatives with her physical and mental strength.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
18 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Plane tickets are getting pricier After jumping to $209 a barrel in early April, the global price of jet fuel eased last week to around $179, still well above the roughly $99 at the end of February.—
Mae Anderson,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
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Rioux dunks without jumping, a feat highlighted by his first college field goal against Saint Francis in December 2025 and a memorable March Madness moment in 2026 with an offensive rebound and put-back dunk.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Clumsiness notwithstanding, bringing a criminal case against a journalist who was reporting on a protest is an authoritarian tactic—a means of frightening the press away from uncovering the truth.—
Quinta Jurecic,
The Atlantic,
30 Jan. 2026
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But monks there complained that the slain king was walking around at night, frightening them with strange sounds.—
Rivka Galchen,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Something shocking happens on Jeon-Gi’s last day at the camp.—
Cressida Leyshon,
New Yorker,
3 May 2026
-
Incredibly shocking moment in the run-up to the race as Great White is scratched.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
The Diplomat, Slow Horses, and Paradise all feel like worthy nominees, but the fact that these three crowd-pleasing geopolitical conspiracy yarns have such overlap in their themes is going to keep any one of them from leaping ahead as a winner.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
2 May 2026
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The Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang has taken over a gargantuan room to house his 2006 piece Head On, consisting of 99 life-size sculptures of wolves leaping ferociously through the air.—
Lale Arikoglu,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 May 2026
Verb
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Starring Kim Hye-yoon and Lee Jong-won, the film follows a road-view camera crew that encounters terrifying supernatural events at a remote reservoir.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
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The air in the room changed immediately, terrifying little Liza.—
Elisabeth Garber-Paul,
Rolling Stone,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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In these quietly stunning essays, a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, the daughter of an Army veteran and a schoolteacher, looks back on her upbringing in Buckhannon, West Virginia.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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This popular, low-maintenance plant features stunning burgundy foliage and bright pink spring flowers.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
3 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Startling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/startling. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
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