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What is another word for startle?

Need synonyms for startle? Here's a list of similar words from our thesaurus that you can use instead.

Contexts ▼

To cause to feel sudden fright or alarm

To suddenly surprise or astonish

To move suddenly, or be excited, on feeling alarm

To provoke or instigate someone into action

To do something (to someone) unexpectedly

To take advantage of someone's inattention

To move or jump suddenly or rapidly upwards or forwards

… more ▼

Verb

▲

To cause to feel sudden fright or alarm

terrorise^UK

terrorize^US

scare the bejesus out of

give someone a fright

give someone a jolt

make someone jump out of their skin

appal^UK

appall^US

scare the living daylights out of

scare someone out of their wits

dishearten

distract

make one's hair stand on end

put the fear of God into

demoralize^US

throw into a blue funk

demoralise^UK

paralyse^UK

paralyze^US

scare witless

confound

make one's blood run cold

give someone goose pimples

frighten the living daylights out of

make one's flesh creep

give one the creeps

weird out

frighten the life out of

give someone the heebie-jeebies

torment

put off

scare the life out of

frighten someone out of their wits

scare the hell out of

send into a cold sweat

make someone's hair stand on end

make someone shake in their shoes

frighten out of your wits

make uneasy

scare silly

scare the pants off of

irk

floor

freak

become horror-stricken

become horror-struck

send chills down the spine of

make someone jump out of his skin

chill someone's blood

make fearful

make someone's blood run cold

make someone's hair curl

cause someone to lose their composure

scare the daylights out of

scare someone half to death

balk^US

baulk^UK

catch off balance

take by surprise

stop someone in their tracks

put someone off their stroke

make someone scratch their head

put out of countenance

set someone back on their heels

put someone off their stride

cause to be at a stand

fill with consternation

pressurize^US

pressurise^UK

tyrannize^US

tyrannise^UK

use strong-arm tactics on

victimize^US

victimise^UK

mess with someone's head

blind someone with something

frighten off

take your breath away

destabilize^US

destabilise^UK

traumatize^US

traumatise^UK

pull the rug out from under

pull the rug from under

tantalize^US

tantalise^UK

put through the wringer

lord it over

hold a gun to one's head

weigh heavily on one's mind

bring pressure to bear on

put under an obligation

brutalize^US

brutalise^UK

hurt somebody's feelings

give someone the creeps

be repugnant to

make someone want to throw up

be distasteful to

make shudder

make your gorge rise

more ❯

“As always, I approached silently, hoping to startle them with a sudden intrusion.”

Verb

▲

To suddenly surprise or astonish

stop someone in their tracks

knock the stuffing out of

take your breath away

hit like a ton of bricks

set someone back on their heels

appal^UK

appall^US

paralyse^UK

paralyze^US

make someone scratch their head

cause to be at a stand

put one away

throw off balance

take the wind out of your sails

knock over with feather

galvanize^US

galvanise^UK

scandalize^US

traumatize^US

antagonize^US

traumatise^UK

antagonise^UK

scandalise^UK

raise someone's eyebrows

give a turn

shake out of your complacency

make someone's blood run cold

completely surprise

hit like ton of bricks

hurt somebody's feelings

put someone's nose out of joint

crush

harrow

distress greatly

make one's hair stand on end

agonize^US

agonise^UK

make someone's hair stand on end

stir up

fluster

stir

raise eyebrows amongst

cause raised eyebrows

cut

cause a few raised eyebrows amongst

demoralise^UK

demoralize^US

mess with someone's head

knock down with a feather

oppress

sweep someone off their feet

tread on someone's toes

make someone feel sick

cause offence to

make one's flesh creep

be repulsive to

make shudder

make flesh crawl

make someone's skin crawl

make someone feel nauseous

make your gorge rise

make someone want to throw up

more ❯

“At times, he seems totally incapacitated by awkwardness, yet he can startle me with his confidence and intellect.”

Verb

▲

To move suddenly, or be excited, on feeling alarm

balk^US

baulk^UK

“The cat would startle, hump her back, and hiss like a smoldering coal struck by water.”

Verb

▲

To provoke or instigate someone into action

galvanise^UK

galvanize^US

fire the enthusiasm of

fire the imagination of

energize^US

invigorate^US

energise^UK

envigorate^UK

revitalize^US

revitalise^UK

incentivize^US

incentivise^UK

give a shot in the arm to

breathe new life into

tantalize^US

mobilize^US

tantalise^UK

mobilise^UK

give a boost to

raise from the dead

give someone a charge

enthral^UK

enthrall^US

catalyze^US

catalyse^UK

recover consciousness

come to one's senses

give a new lease of life to

instil^UK

instill^US

pressurize^US

stiffen the resolve of

magnetize^US

pressurise^UK

magnetise^UK

act as a incentive to

fire someone's imagination

modernise^UK

modernize^US

favour^UK

favor^US

motive

exercise

add fuel to the flames

stimulate spiritually

give the incentive to

have as a consequence

initialize^US

take your breath away

call

blow away the cobwebs

give a shot in the arm

give someone a thrill

do it for someone

entertain

give a new lease on life

initialise^UK

take out of mothballs

give the kiss of life to

more ❯

Verb

▲

To do something (to someone) unexpectedly

Verb

▲

To take advantage of someone's inattention

Verb

▲

To move or jump suddenly or rapidly upwards or forwards

more ❯

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What is another word for startle?

Need synonyms for startle? Here's a list of similar words from our thesaurus that you can use instead.

Related Words and Phrases

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