startle
verb (used with object)
to disturb or agitate suddenly as by surprise or alarm.
was startling
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past progressiveof startle.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
So it was startling to read stuff like this:
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 30, 2026
A spokesperson for the mayor said it was "startling" that SUVs were "77% more likely to kill a child if involved in a collision".
From BBC ● Mar. 13, 2026
His bizarre claim that the new broadcast would be “more transparent than Cronkite” was startling, but it became more revealing as the week wore on.
From Salon ● Jan. 10, 2026
Her conclusion was startling, her tone defiant: “Put me wherever you want: misguided socialist, toothless humanist, naïve novelist, useful idiot, apologist, denier, ally, contrarian, collaborator, traitor, inexcusable coward.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2025
It was startling to me that an unusual number of the requests came from groups of white Christian ministers.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
