startle

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Few people who have been on the national stage this long retain an ability to startle.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 24, 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

While her decision to stand down as an MSP was obvious and much anticipated, it still has the capacity to startle.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2025

The researchers wondered, then, whether the toe taps were a form of vibrational signaling where the frogs used it as a way to startle or distract the prey before they fed.

From Science Daily • May 28, 2024

Boaz could hear him call, his voice loud enough that it made Boaz startle, a near impossible feat nowadays.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny