be startled

While advocating for tougher social media regulation on a panel about disinformation, Janja Lula da Silva appeared to be startled by a loud noise, joking, "I think it's Elon Musk."

A person without the disorder who listens to a series of sounds such as a beeping car horn wouldn't be startled after the first honk because that person's brain can link the second and subsequent sounds to the first one.

A person with Tourette disorder might be startled by each separate sound, especially if it increases in volume.

Yet in my role as publisher of The New York Times, I continue to be startled by the growing resistance to independent journalism.

But of the thousands of brands flooding the marketplace, consumers might be startled to see what appears to be LGBTQ+ slurs in the mix.