startles 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of startle
1
as in amazes
to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected the lightning startled the children and sent them scurrying for cover

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in jumps
to move suddenly and sharply (as in surprise) the cat startled when the door slammed shut with a bang

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in frightens
to strike with fear loud noises always startle her

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

startles

2 of 2

noun

plural of startle
as in shocks

Related Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of startles
Verb
Missile warning startles Dubai Earlier on Friday, a missile warning in the United Arab Emirates caused by a technical glitch underscored the ongoing tensions in the region, following the attack on the cargo vessel and Israeli strikes in Lebanon over the past few days. — Collin Binkley, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026 The combination of flashing light and movement startles them. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 11 June 2026 If hypotheticals about what could have been are a good dream for New York Knicks fans, then Mikal Bridges is the alarm clock that startles them awake. — James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026 The project, which Steinberger has rebranded multiple times—evolving from Clawdbot to Moltbot and finally to OpenClaw—largely owing to politics—has expanded at a pace that startles even seasoned AI experts. — Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2026 As the dolphin gets closer to the glass, the Chihuahua lets out a bark that startles the dolphin, who then starts mimicking the dog's mouth movements in a sort of chasing game across species. — Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025 That aural reminder punctuates my days now, and frequently startles me. — Rob Mank, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for startles
  1. amazes
  2. jumps
  3. frightens
  4. shocks
  5. stuns
  6. scares
  7. astonishments
  8. surprises
Verb
  • What amazes me is there seems to be a wide swath of Michiganders who don’t seem to mind being lied to.
    — Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 24 Sep. 2026
  • His greatness is never in question, but to have the league at a standstill because of a 41-year-old free agent amazes me.
    — Chris Branch, New York Times, 17 July 2026
Definition of amazes
Verb
  • When the lid loosens, LINE1 jumps around, DNA damage piles up and biological aging speeds up.
    — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Oct. 2026
  • While these price increases only translate to roughly a few dollars each month, the annual price jumps by a larger margin.
    — Ryley Amond, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of jumps
Verb
  • The prospect of Sean Steur or Lewis Hall — whose contract situation Wilson refused to be drawn on, despite being asked three times — leaving is not something which frightens the hierarchy.
    — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Penelope, too, is asked to occupy a landscape that frightens her, not only as a neurodivergent child in a neurotypical culture, but as a child now situated in an adult world.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of frightens
Noun
  • Following a series of global shocks, the average developing country now spends more than ten percent of its revenue on interest on debt, [nearly double the burden a decade ago], crowding out investment for growth.
    — Masood Ahmed, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
  • But a new generation of refineries has the potential to transform economies, not only protecting countries from future energy shocks but providing the baseload power needed to ramp up manufacturing.
    — semafor.com, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of shocks
Verb
  • Haslet Eaton stuns Keller Central Haslet Eaton upset Keller Central on Thursday, earning a 28-27 victory in a thriller.
    — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Innanen stuns as Paul Baker — full name all the time — a Canadian newcomer to the group who becomes integral to his friends’ emotional processing all while operating as the resident Gen-Z eye candy.
    — CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of stuns
Verb
  • In the most basic sense, a film in which supernatural scares arise courtesy of negative space ought to at least have thoughtful framing, but the endless series of startles arrive with the same weight and energy as the fake outs.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Kennedy, who was an anti-vaccine activist before entering politics and has sent mixed messages to Americans about getting the measles vaccine, scares her.
    — Ali Swenson, STAT, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of scares
Noun
  • The Oscars, airing March 2 on ABC and streaming live on Hulu, will offer up kudos for some of these astonishments.
    — Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Feb. 2025
Definition of astonishments
Verb
  • Each step sends a ripple through the spongy, thin mat, a slow undulating motion beneath your feet that surprises the senses, disorienting yet simultaneously strangely delightful.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
  • After more than 13 years of working together, Jordan rarely surprises me.
    — Alla Adam, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of surprises

Browse Nearby Words

startlements
startles
startling
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Startles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/startles. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All