startle

[ UK /stˈɑːtə‍l/ ]
[ US /ˈstɑɹtəɫ/ ]

VERB

move or jump suddenly, as if in surprise or alarm
She startled when I walked into the room
to stimulate to action
galvanized into action
the loud noise startled him awake

NOUN

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How To Use startle In A Sentence

In her house apron and with her hair a little ruffled she looked younger, startled and then angry. THE WHITE DOVE
She was obviously a little startled at this idea.
The door bell rang again and both girls were startled by the sudden ringing sound that seemed a hundred times louder then usual.
Now the girl is also changing, consuming everything with such rapaciousness that it startles him. Until the Heart Stops Beating
Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you.
Her article on diet startled many people into changing their eating habits.
The opening door woke Roger, startled Patrick and gave the cat an unwonted and sudden attack of conscience. MIDNIGHT IS A LONELY PLACE
I was startled at the news that 129 persons were killed last Sunday in the attempt by rebel air force officers to overthrow the government in the capital.
As I pressed through the thick underwood, I startled a strange-looking apparition in one of the open spaces beside the gulf, where, as shown by the profusion of plants of _vaccinium_, the blaeberries had greatly abounded in their season. The Cruise of the Betsey or, A Summer Ramble Among the Fossiliferous Deposits of the Hebrides. With Rambles of a Geologist or, Ten Thousand Miles Over the Fossiliferous Deposits of Scotland
Serena and I both pulled back, startled, and then watched in awe as they both started laughing.