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.
Black said he was startled, although not totally surprised.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026
If I needed to grab Cosmo, I’d raise my hand high to let his one eye warily track me so he wouldn’t get startled.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
She said some birds do not die instantly when shot and instead get startled in the dark and collide with things, but Pellen said that was "not true at all".
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Observers were startled that, given the risks, Ali Khamenei was present in the very centre of Tehran on February 28 rather than in hiding elsewhere in the vast country.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
“You startled me. Why are you wandering the grounds at this hour?”
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
