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.
It triggers an automatic "startle response" to any loud noise.
From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026
McVay initially yelled and tried to make herself bigger to startle away the predator.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 25, 2026
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
At the last and greatest thunderbolt every man startled involuntarily, and each saw the other startle, until they laughed away their shame.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
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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