startle

Yet within minutes the street's peace and quiet was shattered by the screech of glass cutters, the baying of startled dogs, then shouts of "police."

When Wesley Pegden, a mathematician and computer scientist who specializes in identifying partisan gerrymanders, examined the congressional map drawn by North Carolina Republicans in 2021, he reached a conclusion that startled even him.

A classic example of the amygdala in action is someone's physiological and emotional response to seeing a snake: startled body, racing heart, sweaty palms.

"The gnome himself was visibly startled," police said, referring to the gnome having its hands covering its mouth.

And to me, it was startling to see that in this fantastical world, even given the sort of upbeat nature of musical theater.