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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 startling
Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
This economic malaise has helped the extreme right Alternative for Germany party, or AfD, make startling and troubling gains.
—Isabella M. Weber, Foreign Affairs, 14 May 2025
More startling is the proliferation of machine or non-human identities (NHIs).
—Paul Zolfaghari, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
But advances in the sequencing of ancient and modern DNA have allowed scientists to look more closely at how our genetic code has evolved over time—and the results are startling.
—Kermit Pattison, Scientific American, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for startling
Adjective
As damage, fatality reports and pictures start to shed light on the situation, startling images from a webcam in the St. Louis Arch and personal phones signaled the dire conditions facing one of the nation’s most populated cities.
—Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
This economic malaise has helped the extreme right Alternative for Germany party, or AfD, make startling and troubling gains.
—Isabella M. Weber, Foreign Affairs, 14 May 2025
More startling is the proliferation of machine or non-human identities (NHIs).
—Paul Zolfaghari, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
But advances in the sequencing of ancient and modern DNA have allowed scientists to look more closely at how our genetic code has evolved over time—and the results are startling.
—Kermit Pattison, Scientific American, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for startling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for startling
Adjective
-
The announcement, though abrupt, was not altogether surprising: City leaders have fretted the loss of Blue Diamond since the 1990s, and the cooperative has been steadily cutting costs in recent years.—
Annika Merrilees,
Sacbee.com,
7 June 2025
-
That's why the kind of blowup that happened this week was very surprising, disappointing to me.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 June 2025
Verb
-
On Sunday, McIlroy blew up for a double bogey on the first hole before jumping out to a massive lead.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Apr. 2025
-
By jumping to agentic, Amazon can make home assistants that are capable and conversational like ChatGPT but also have a framework for communicating and controlling external services, as Alexa and Siri can.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Here’s a look at his amazing performance. Notes . . .—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
-
Gosh, there are trillions of stories that are amazing.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
8 June 2025
Verb
-
Jung-bae wound up in a room of three, with Player 001 and some rando — but Player 001 choked the stranger to death in time to reduce their head count, shocking Jung-bae more than a bit.—
Matt Webb Mitovich,
TVLine,
26 Dec. 2024
-
Fox News Digital obtained shocking audio between Cyrus and his estranged wife where the country crooner is heard berating his Australian ex and using profane language.—
Ashley Hume,
Fox News,
26 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Because of their tiny size, these monkeys are incredible jumpers, capable of leaping up to 16 feet.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Mar. 2025
-
The latter was dismissed by another leaping salmon catch by Glenn Phillips.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes,
9 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Then, follow steep alleys up to Hvar’s medieval hilltop castle, looming high above the town below, for stunning views over the bay and Pakleni islands.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
-
Designed by the famed 18th-century landscape architect Capability Brown, the estate’s sprawling grounds and stunning interiors have lent their timeless elegance to countless productions.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
10 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Startling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/startling. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share