jump scare
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
Angela’s vivid mood swings are a wellspring of entertainment; Tommy associates her phone number with an orchestral ringtone that sounds like a horror movie jump scare.
From Salon ● Nov. 16, 2025
It’s important that the pervasive jump scare could happen to you.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2024
Each of these micro jokes functions like a jump scare — just unexpected enough to elicit a tiny gasp.
From New York Times ● Jan. 17, 2024
Instead of jump scare after jump scare, Saul’s novels aim to take readers on an eerie journey during which empathy is built for the characters, and evil and mystic ongoings don’t just happen without reason.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 27, 2023
“It’s setup, setup, surprise. That surprise in a joke is a punch line, and that surprise in a scare is a jump scare or something that unexpectedly catches you off guard.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2023
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
