startle up
C1 neutral separable both
In simple words
To scare someone or something so much that they jump up suddenly
Literal meaning: To startle (frighten) someone or something upward — causing them to jump up
Meanings
1 C1 neutral
To cause a person or animal to jump up suddenly due to fright or surprise
"The hiker startled up a pheasant hidden in the long grass."
Grammar: separable
2 C1 neutral
To jump or rise suddenly from a resting or sleeping position due to a sudden noise or fright
"She startled up from her chair when the phone rang in the dark."
Usage notes
Relatively rare and somewhat literary or archaic. Used both transitively (to startle something up) and intransitively (to startle up from a resting position). Common in descriptions of animals or birds being flushed from cover.
Commonly used with
birds deer animal flock person sleeper
Forms
Base
startle up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
startles up
he/she/it
Past simple
startled up
yesterday
Past participle
startled up
have + pp
-ing form
startling up
continuous
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Synonyms
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