1. a person or thing that startles or causes sudden surprise or alarm

Examples

• The loud noise was quite a startler for the sleeping cat.
• That horror movie had several good startlers that made the audience jump.
• The unexpected announcement was a real startler for everyone in the meeting.
• The magician’s trick was a clever startler that caught everyone off guard.
• The sudden appearance of the deer was a startler for the hikers.
• That plot twist in the book was quite a startler.