startling
adjective
star·tling
ˈstär-tᵊl-iŋ 
ˈstärt-liŋ
: causing momentary fright, surprise, or astonishment
a startling discovery
startlingly
adverb
Examples of startling in a Sentence
Startling new evidence came to light during the trial.
He made a startling discovery.
It is a city of startling contrasts.
Recent Examples on the Web
More startling is the proliferation of machine or non-human identities (NHIs).
—
Paul Zolfaghari, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
But advances in the sequencing of ancient and modern DNA have allowed scientists to look more closely at how our genetic code has evolved over time—and the results are startling.
—Kermit Pattison, Scientific American, 20 May 2025
Photo Gallery This kind of unraveling isn’t that new in the pantheon of British kitchen-sink dramas, but what is quite startling is the film’s clear-eyed, unsentimental portrayal of Michael as the author of his own tragedy.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 17 May 2025
Newfoundland and Labrador is startling in its expansiveness and is over 405,000 square miles large.
—Madeline Weinfield, Travel + Leisure, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for startling
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Paul Zolfaghari, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
But advances in the sequencing of ancient and modern DNA have allowed scientists to look more closely at how our genetic code has evolved over time—and the results are startling.
—Kermit Pattison, Scientific American, 20 May 2025
Photo Gallery This kind of unraveling isn’t that new in the pantheon of British kitchen-sink dramas, but what is quite startling is the film’s clear-eyed, unsentimental portrayal of Michael as the author of his own tragedy.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 17 May 2025
Newfoundland and Labrador is startling in its expansiveness and is over 405,000 square miles large.
—Madeline Weinfield, Travel + Leisure, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for startling
Cite this Entry
“Startling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/startling. Accessed 26 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share