startle
verb (used with object)
to disturb or agitate suddenly as by surprise or alarm.
has startled
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present perfectof startle (3rd person singular).present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
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.
Unprecedented warming in the North Atlantic has startled some researchers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 14, 2023
That background has helped draw energy companies to Duncan's vision and his early success with carbon capture has startled others, said energy executives interviewed by Reuters for this story.
From Reuters ● Sep. 14, 2022
The extent of the exposure has startled researchers.
From The Guardian ● Apr. 18, 2020
Yet the national gloom seems to have bypassed Craven, an area of Yorkshire, in the north of England, that has startled Britons by emerging from national statistics as the happiest place in the country.
From New York Times ● Nov. 13, 2017
That has startled him: I doubt this fellow does but counterfeit.
From A Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 2 by A. H. (Arthur Henry) Bullen
