- present participle of startle.
startling
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.
I have still sat across from friends who lost a startling amount of weight in a startling amount of time and said nothing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
His words were startling, to say the least, but Schwartz’s description of the president’s true personality was revelatory.
From Salon ● Aug. 7, 2026
The fall of Brendan Rodgers, and Dermot Desmond's startling evisceration of a celebrated manager, could only be rivalled if Celtic's major shareholder suddenly takes a flamethrower to his relationship with O'Neill.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
In July, Beijing-based startup Moonshot AI announced the release of a fully open-source AI, startling Silicon Valley with its ability to rival U.S. models.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
Most startling of all, a splendid dark cartoon of a black eye was stamped in a ring on my eye socket, in the richest inks of Tyrian, chartreuse, and plum.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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Vocabulary lists containing startling
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