startle
verb (used with object)
to disturb or agitate suddenly as by surprise or alarm.
have startled
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present perfectof startle.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.
A presumption that there is an undercurrent of simmering rage in day-to-day life has taken hold in ways that might have startled past generations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 23, 2026
As they struggle in a fast-changing business, multiplex operators — some carrying astounding debt because of pandemic shutdowns — have started to experiment with pricing in ways that have startled moviegoers.
From New York Times ● Mar. 5, 2023
These discoveries, which would have startled most neurologists and neuroscientists a few decades ago, highlight the importance of recognizing this hidden conscious state and developing ways to communicate with people who are in it.
From Scientific American ● Oct. 21, 2022
The urgency of the new mission was underlined by fierce Taliban advances that have startled the world as diplomats face rising regional instability and a widening humanitarian crisis.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2021
I jumped up from the couch, which must have startled Joe, because he dropped the rabbit ear antenna he was fiddling with.
From "The First Rule of Punk" by Celia C. Pérez
