jump scare

noun

variants or less commonly jump-scare

ˈjəmp-ˌsker

or jumpscare

plural jump scares also jump-scares or jumpscares

: a scripted moment (as in a film or video game) intended to startle the audience

The biggest jolts in "The Omen" … come from conventionally staged jump scares, where a nasty image suddenly flashes on the screen accompanied by a startling sound effect.—

Li Wang

… differentiates itself from other VR [=virtual reality] horror games by not resorting to cheap jump-scares, instead flexing its brilliant visuals to build an atmospheric sense of foreboding.—

Chris Button

Examples of jump scare in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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Zoom out: Night Stalkers also has carnival games, concessions, music, pumpkins for sale, and a larger corn maze to leisurely explore without jump scares or chainsaw guys. —

Erin Alberty, Axios, 15 Oct. 2024 Just clock in, watch these teens in their high school after-hours get terrorized by an evil force, see some great jump scares, and clock out. —

Jordan Crucchiola, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2024 The director makes even that overused modern horror trope, the jump scare, truly shocking, not just something to be instantly laughed off. —

David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Dec. 2024 Another person shared on X a glimpse into the game, which shows Piglet wandering through an empty mansion that seems rife for jump scares. —

Kalhan Rosenblatt, NBC News, 12 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for jump scare