startled; startling
ˈstär-tᵊl-iŋ 
ˈstärt-liŋ
: to move or jump suddenly (as in surprise or alarm)
the baby startles easily
: to frighten or surprise suddenly and usually not seriously
: a sudden mild shock (as of surprise or alarm)
Examples of startle in a Sentence
Verb
I'm sorry that I startled you.
the lightning startled the children and sent them scurrying for cover
Recent Examples on the Web
Isabel Rosales, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025
White disappears completely into the role without skirting parody, portraying the exhausted hitmaker as startled by his own numbness, blanked out and unsure of what to do next.
—Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 24 Oct. 2025
Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
Knott’s Berry Farm associate producer Pasta Rago showed me how to do the startle scare and lunge.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for startle
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Verb
Across America, Halloween spending is expected to reach record levels this year, including large crowds waiting for their chance to be chased, startled and screamed at.
—Isabel Rosales, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025
White disappears completely into the role without skirting parody, portraying the exhausted hitmaker as startled by his own numbness, blanked out and unsure of what to do next.
—Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
The wife, who’d been fixated on the cages, shook with a startle, as if waking from a dream.
—Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
Knott’s Berry Farm associate producer Pasta Rago showed me how to do the startle scare and lunge.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for startle
Cite this Entry
“Startle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/startle. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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