be startled
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.
Likewise, viewers will not be startled when Marina eventually discovers painful secrets about her mom and dad that cause her to reconsider those phantom figures.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
But even jaded readers will be startled by the scope of the self-organizing tyranny besetting the book world.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 28, 2026
A person with Tourette disorder might be startled by each separate sound, especially if it increases in volume.
From Science Daily ● May 6, 2024
Yet in my role as publisher of The New York Times, I continue to be startled by the growing resistance to independent journalism.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 8, 2024
She went to bed sometime between eight and eight-thirty only to be startled awake later when a horse-and-wagon clattered past her window at high speed.
From "The Great Fire" by Jim Murphy
