jump scare
Americannoun
-
jump scares
plural
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
Staged in a darkened Gothic downtown space, “Limos” was designed to put guests on edge, with limited lighting and at least one jump scare in a blackout moment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2025
It’s important that the pervasive jump scare could happen to you.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2024
It’s unsettling, almost feral, working like a jump scare more than a punchline.
From New York Times ● Dec. 8, 2023
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
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
