startle
verb (used with object)
to disturb or agitate suddenly as by surprise or alarm.
startler
-
a word derived from
startle.
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.
This startler of a show gave a sense of what an art world New Normal looked and felt like when it hit more than half a century ago.
From New York Times ● Dec. 7, 2022
Another startler was the wig hat, on which a cascade of hibiscus blossoms fell from a black felt pillbox, making the wearer look like Harpo Marx in an unusually casual moment.
From Time Magazine Archive
It’s a startler for you, I know, living so close, but I’m afraid it’s true.
From Witness to the Deed by George Manville Fenn
By George, it’s a startler, sir, and no mistake.”
From One Maid's Mischief by George Manville Fenn
"All right," he said, "we'll go and give them a bit of a startler."
From A Honeymoon in Space by George Chetwynd Griffith
