startle
Example Sentences
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See Examples For:
They then measured how the mice responded using a modified auditory startle test.
From Science Daily ● May 15, 2026
It triggers an automatic "startle response" to any loud noise.
From BBC ● Apr. 9, 2026
His lyrics also startle the way poems do.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 26, 2025
But when she sees another dog, everything changes: she snarls, barks loud enough to startle a city block, and lunges with so much force it takes all my strength to hold her back.
From Salon ● Aug. 18, 2025
Omakayas was careful not to startle him or gaze too long into his mean, clouded eyes.
From "The Birchbark House" by Louise Erdrich
I am not sure what startles more—that the feat was achieved at all or that it was Mr. Koolhaas’s firm that pulled it off.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 20, 2026
When finally you see it, however, the pose chosen for the portrait startles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2023
The zoo called him “a very shy bird that startles easily” and urged anyone who finds him to call its hotline.
From New York Times ● Mar. 28, 2023
It startles you and prompts you to cast off the self-centered tendency to always be imposing your opinions on things.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 6, 2023
She startles him so bad, he instantly needs to go to the bathroom.
From "Clean Getaway" by Nic Stone
A Fresno County sheriff’s deputy is mourning the loss of his K-9 partner who was struck by a car after he ran off when he was startled by a fireworks explosion this weekend.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026
Observers were startled that, given the risks, Ali Khamenei was present in the very centre of Tehran on February 28 rather than in hiding elsewhere in the vast country.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
The initial announcement of SpaceX’s bond sale had startled some investors, some of whom sold their shares.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 2026
Fabio Capello, the Juventus manager, was so startled by the 18-year-old that he reportedly tried to sign him.
From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2026
She seems startled to see me coming out of Naomi's house.
From "Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun" by Hena Khan
“I watched through all hours of the night and at one point screamed into my phone ‘YOU’VE GOT THIS, JACKIE!’ startling my entire family awake.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
His words were startling, to say the least, but Schwartz’s description of the president’s true personality was revelatory.
From Salon ● Aug. 7, 2026
When the call ended, the driver said something startling: “Thank you for your success.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
The bat fell onto a table at the Yellow Deli in Vista, startling patrons.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
The strangest thing had to be the streak of startling blue playing through the girl’s dirty blond hair.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
Vocabulary lists containing startle
"All Summer in a Day" by Ray Bradbury
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The Circuit
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"The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet," Vocabulary from Act 5
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