startling

adjective

star·​tling ˈstärt-liŋ How to pronounce startling (audio)
ˈstär-tᵊl-iŋ
: causing momentary fright, surprise, or astonishment
a startling discovery
startlingly adverb

Examples of startling in a Sentence

Startling new evidence came to light during the trial. He made a startling discovery. It is a city of startling contrasts.
Recent Examples on the Web But the wild cats are certainly around in numbers, stalking prey, performing mating rituals and staking out precious territory with startling ferocity. John Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2024 Though the following conversation does touch on the movie’s startling ending, there are no spoilers beyond anything that’s already in the film’s trailer. Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024 Some apoptotic factors, such as caspases in animals, can activate each other in a cascade of startling swiftness that becomes a swarm and cuts the cell’s structures to ribbons. Quanta Magazine, 6 Mar. 2024 The American Academy of Pediatrics takes a close look at the startling new numbers—and what can be done about it. Sarah Scott, Parents, 4 Mar. 2024 To prove her point, Teigen shared a photo dump featuring a video of her and Luna watching a TikTok together on her phone — a wholesome moment that apparently ended with a startling surprise. Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 2 Mar. 2024 The sky is often uncannily blue, the vegetation (palms, sea grapes, jacarandas) a startling green. Alice Newell-Hanson Stefan Ruiz, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024 Villeneuve’s mix of bald males and women covered in burkas during this midpoint sequence of arena sadism is startling yet inexpressive. Armond White, National Review, 1 Mar. 2024 The research points to a startling conclusion: Humans have raised global temperatures by a total of about 1.7 degrees Celsius, or 3.1 Fahrenheit, not 1.2 degrees Celsius, as widely suggested until now. Christopher Flavelle, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'startling.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1609, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of startling was in 1609

Dictionary Entries Near startling

Cite this Entry

“Startling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/startling. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

startling

adjective
star·​tling
: causing a sudden fright, surprise, or astonishment
a startling discovery
startlingly
ˈstärt-liŋ-lē
-ᵊl-iŋ-
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on startling

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