as in surprising
causing a strong emotional reaction because of unexpectedness
the startling news that my sister will be having a baby
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in amazing
to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected
the lightning startled the children and sent them scurrying for cover
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in jumping
to move suddenly and sharply (as in surprise)
the cat startled when the door slammed shut with a bang
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in frightening
to strike with fear
loud noises always startle her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of startling
Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
This economic malaise has helped the extreme right Alternative for Germany party, or AfD, make startling and troubling gains.
—Isabella M. Weber, Foreign Affairs, 14 May 2025
More startling is the proliferation of machine or non-human identities (NHIs).
—Paul Zolfaghari, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
But advances in the sequencing of ancient and modern DNA have allowed scientists to look more closely at how our genetic code has evolved over time—and the results are startling.
—Kermit Pattison, Scientific American, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for startling
Adjective
As damage, fatality reports and pictures start to shed light on the situation, startling images from a webcam in the St. Louis Arch and personal phones signaled the dire conditions facing one of the nation’s most populated cities.
—Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
This economic malaise has helped the extreme right Alternative for Germany party, or AfD, make startling and troubling gains.
—Isabella M. Weber, Foreign Affairs, 14 May 2025
More startling is the proliferation of machine or non-human identities (NHIs).
—Paul Zolfaghari, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
But advances in the sequencing of ancient and modern DNA have allowed scientists to look more closely at how our genetic code has evolved over time—and the results are startling.
—Kermit Pattison, Scientific American, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for startling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for startling
Adjective
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The announcement, though abrupt, was not altogether surprising: City leaders have fretted the loss of Blue Diamond since the 1990s, and the cooperative has been steadily cutting costs in recent years.—
Annika Merrilees,
Sacbee.com,
7 June 2025
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Keep in mind that a spicy square between Mars and Uranus on June 15 could also lead to romantic developments or surprising revelations, spontaneously or behind the scenes.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
6 June 2025
Verb
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On Sunday, McIlroy blew up for a double bogey on the first hole before jumping out to a massive lead.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Apr. 2025
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By jumping to agentic, Amazon can make home assistants that are capable and conversational like ChatGPT but also have a framework for communicating and controlling external services, as Alexa and Siri can.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Comments Chloe Fineman has explained how that amazing triple Jennifer Coolidge impression — Fineman, Dana Carvey, and host Ariana Grande — landed on Saturday Night Live.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
EW.com,
28 May 2025
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There’s still men — there’s Benson, who’s doing amazing.—
Mikael Wood,
Los Angeles Times,
28 May 2025
Verb
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Jung-bae wound up in a room of three, with Player 001 and some rando — but Player 001 choked the stranger to death in time to reduce their head count, shocking Jung-bae more than a bit.—
Matt Webb Mitovich,
TVLine,
26 Dec. 2024
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Fox News Digital obtained shocking audio between Cyrus and his estranged wife where the country crooner is heard berating his Australian ex and using profane language.—
Ashley Hume,
Fox News,
26 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Because of their tiny size, these monkeys are incredible jumpers, capable of leaping up to 16 feet.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Mar. 2025
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The latter was dismissed by another leaping salmon catch by Glenn Phillips.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes,
9 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Even more stunning is that every one of us is unique and different.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
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Immerse yourself in the outdoors in South America Known for its alpine mountains and sapphire-blue lakes, Chile’s lake district is also a destination filled with stunning natural beauty.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Startling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/startling. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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