startled 1 of 2

adjective

1
as in surprised

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2
as in alarmed

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startled

2 of 2

verb

past tense of startle
1
as in stunned
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 jumped
to move suddenly and sharply (as in surprise) the cat startled when the door slammed shut with a bang

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3
as in frightened
to strike with fear loud noises always startle her

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of startled
Adjective
Her face, indisputably middle-aged, had a pensive, startled quality. — Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026 Even general manager Jonah Kaplan is a little startled by the café’s increasing popularity. — Miami Herald, 6 Aug. 2026 As a Flamengo defender attempted to pass the ball to a teammate, the blue-and-yellow bird dove straight toward him, sending the startled teen crashing to the ground in a panic. — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 2026 TikTok user Aubrey Birrell posted a video of her startled reaction to her San Diego, California, Airbnb on July 2. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2026 One of them who’d worked with Juliatra-Monoth gave him a startled look. — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 26 June 2026 Ahn seems mildly startled to hear his own consistency read back to him. — Joshua Encinias, IndieWire, 17 June 2026 During the lead-up to this month’s primary elections, some voters in Placer County were startled to receive a text message with an image that looked like a law enforcement logo. — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 14 June 2026 Robinson was startled to discover that this applicant intended to sell guns from his apartment in a building downtown, a few blocks from Camden Yards. — Alec MacGillis, ProPublica, 1 June 2026
Verb
Of those who were injured, officials said that many were hurt while falling down or hitting themselves against furniture after being startled by the earthquake while sleeping. — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 23 Aug. 2026 There’s nothing worse than waking up in the middle of a super restful sleep cycle, whether you are startled by the neighbor’s dog or an unwanted text message. — Alexandra Frost, USA Today, 17 Aug. 2026 Sometimes workers would be startled by the sight of a machine moving by itself and realize it was being controlled by someone in Turkey. — Jesse Coburn, ProPublica, 12 Aug. 2026 The 10-episode first season (critics received six for review) opens in the early hours of the morning, when Anna is startled awake by a phone call. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026 Witness Hoon Chan Sim, 53, was sitting on a park lawn with his dog near West Drive when he was startled by the squeal of braking tires, and spun around to see the horrific collision. — Lincoln Anderson, New York Daily News, 25 July 2026 Wildlife experts say black bears are strong climbers and may scale trees, utility poles or other tall structures when startled by people, traffic or dogs. — Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 23 July 2026 Indeed, Hartstone-Rose and his colleagues noted in their 2020 paper that some of the animals could have been startled by the humans, but the researchers weren’t sure. — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 23 July 2026 Stone Mountain, Georgia — Jean Shifrin was hiking up a steep mountain trail on the Fourth of July when she was startled by something approaching her from behind. — John Blake, CNN Money, 19 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for startled
  1. surprised
  2. alarmed
  3. stunned
  4. jumped
  5. frightened
  6. awed
  7. terrified
  8. amazed
Adjective
  • Others close to Lamb, such as his sister Maridale Powell, might have been less surprised.
    — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • However, the largest drop in June occurred among prime-age workers, leaving several economists puzzled and surprised.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of surprised
Adjective
  • The proposal to paint the building has alarmed preservationists, architects, historians and others who argue that granite is not meant to be painted and that paint would trap moisture and degrade the stone.
    — Gary Fields, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Chan's death comes after celebrity blogger Perez Hilton also alarmed fans on a TikTok livestream when police were called to his home after reports of self-harm.
    — Moises Mendez II, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of alarmed
Verb
  • Once broken, the enemy is stunned and vulnerable to a powerful, unique finisher attack.
    — Gabriel Zamora, PC Magazine, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Westlake is coming off an impressive triple OT win over Newbury Park, while Agoura stunned Saugus in Week 0.
    — Ethan Hanson, Daily News, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of stunned
Verb
  • The Sox jumped back ahead in the third inning on a Benintendi RBI single.
    — LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The team's official drumline, The Pack, pounded on illuminated drums during quarter breaks, while Skye, the team's sassy, blue-haired lioness mascot, jumped onto the T-shirt cannon to launch souvenir merchandise high into stadium seats.
    — Odette Yousef, NPR, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of jumped
Verb
  • The rising cost of health care has frightened many people, including those with health insurance.
    — Cara Kelly, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The aggressive approach deeply disrupted and frightened the participants.
    — Kimmie Gordon, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of frightened
Adjective
  • Maxwell, a fiction editor at The New Yorker, drew upon his own awed discovery of France in 1948; the novel’s opening paragraphs show one of the protagonists weeping at the sight of the French shore.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026
  • But credit Neill for both understanding the assignment and not quite settling for those awed stares of Spielbergian wonder.
    — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2026
Definition of awed
Adjective
  • Instead, coaches have become more and more terrified through the years of seeing their players getting hurt during largely meaningless games in August.
    — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Tempe police ultimately convinced the couple, who were initially too terrified to report the incident, to share what had happened to them, documents said.
    — Perry Vandell, AZCentral.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of terrified
Verb
  • But of the many falsehoods told by them, there was one which quite amazed me.
    — Agnes Callard, The New York Review of Books, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Just before halftime, van Persie slipped past the Spanish defensive line to receive a long-range pass from teammate Daley Blind and looped the ball over Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas with a first-time diving header that amazed the audience.
    — Tushaar Kuthiala, Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 July 2026
Definition of amazed

Browse Nearby Words

startle
startled
startlement
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Cite this Entry

“Startled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/startled. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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