Sign In Get Started
Prepositions after verbs

Startle by or startle at?

Startle is commonly used as a transitive verb. We usually say someone is startled by something or startles at something sudden.

Quick answer

Which preposition goes with startle?

Use startled by for the cause of surprise or shock, and startle at for a sudden reaction. Startle by is not normally used as an active verb pattern.

She was startled by the loud crash.
The horse startled at the sudden movement.
I was startled by his angry tone.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
startled by + cause

Showing what caused the surprise

Use startled by when naming the thing that shocked or surprised someone.

We were startled by the alarm.
He looked startled by the question.
2
startle + person

Direct object after startle

Startle often takes a direct object without a preposition.

The noise startled the baby.
Her message startled everyone in the office.
3
startle at + event

Reacting suddenly to something

Startle at describes a quick reaction to a sight, sound, or movement.

She startled at the barking dog.
The child startled at the flashing lights.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
startled by
They were startled by the explosion.
Standard pattern for the cause of surprise or shock.
startle at
He startled at the touch on his shoulder.
Standard pattern for reacting suddenly to something.
startle by
The audience was startled by the announcement.
Not normally used as an active verb pattern. Use startled by instead.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using startle by as an active pattern

Startle usually takes a direct object, or the adjective startled is followed by by.

✕ The noise startled by the crowd. ✓ The noise startled the crowd.

Confusing startled by and startle at

Use startled by for the cause and startle at for the reaction.

✕ She startled by the scream. ✓ She was startled by the scream.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. We were ___ the sudden noise.
2. The deer ___ the sound of footsteps.
3. The announcement ___ everyone in the room.

Check your sentence in context

Paste the complete sentence below. Linguix checks the preposition together with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style.

Free to try · No signup required

Frequently asked questions

Is startle by correct?

Not usually as a verb pattern. English normally uses startled by or simply startle plus an object.

What is the difference between startled by and startled at?

Startled by focuses on the cause, while startled at focuses on the reaction to something sudden.

Can startle be used without a preposition?

Yes. The verb often takes a direct object, as in The noise startled me.

sack, by, sack, for, sack, from "sacrifice for" or "sacrifice to"? sail from, in, for, to or through? "salvage from" or "salvage in"? sanction by, for, in, with or according? satisfy with, by, in, about or after? "saturate with" or "saturate in"? save by, for, from, on or in? "say in", "say about" or "say to"? "scan for", "scan in" or "scan through"? "scar by" or "scar on"? scatter in, across, around, throughout or on?

Write with confidence in Linguix

Create a free account to check complete texts, apply suggestions, and save your documents.

Create a free account