How to Use jump scare in a Sentence

jump scare

noun
  • There are no jump scares or gory scenes.
    — Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 21 Jan. 2026
  • The score is half of the jump scare in this show.
    — Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 2 Apr. 2026
  • The title card is a jump scare.
    — Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Surprise is a one-off, like a jump scare.
    — Anna Russell, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
  • The blood spatter would work as the punch lines, not jump scares.
    — Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 21 Feb. 2025
  • There are a few fun jump scares — but little that chills or thrills.
    — Anupama Chopra, HollywoodReporter, 2 July 2025
  • This song lands like a jump scare right before the credits roll.
    — Coleman Spilde, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2024
  • One scene, though, gave him a serious jump scare.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 1 May 2026
  • As the season closes, the show leaves behind more than jump scares.
    — Okla Jones, Essence, 15 Dec. 2025
  • Just their presence alone is more frightening than any jump scare.
    — Ew Staff, EW.com, 15 July 2024
  • What’s so interesting about the games is that the jump scares are not gory.
    — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 27 Oct. 2023
  • This one promises just enough pumpkin spice without the jump scares.
    — Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 June 2025
  • This jump scare wasn’t the first time these two encountered each other.
    — Jillian Sykes, CNN, 15 Apr. 2023
  • Expect a fair bit of spooky music and dark imagery, plus some mild jump scares.
    — Common Sense Media, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2023
  • There’s a bit of everything in there – some classics, some jump scares, all bangers!
    — Felicity Carter, Forbes.com, 3 May 2025
  • Think of peek-a-boo, which by some has been called the first ‘jump scare’ that children are exposed to.
    — Alex Orlando, Discover Magazine, 31 Oct. 2023
  • Despite the initial jump scare, Wax Jane won our hearts.
    — Literary Hub, 16 Dec. 2025
  • And without making anything in the film ever feel like a jump scare.
    — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 6 Dec. 2024
  • Why treat the eagle attack on Bug as a jump scare instead of a sight gag?
    — cleveland, 17 Aug. 2023
  • Looking back at my high school photos is a borderline jump scare.
    — Abby Morgan Lebet, Glamour, 6 July 2026
  • With its missing eye, the prop helped create a masterful jump scare in the film.
    — R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
  • The moment in the movie that people can’t stop talking about is not one of the jump scares or gross-out shots.
    — Time, 16 Apr. 2025
  • The original has a special place in our black hearts, but its remakes have just as many jump scares.
    — Lydia Price, People.com, 22 Dec. 2024
  • The film grips us with its jump scares and Wesley Hughes’ propulsive score.
    — Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Sep. 2023
  • In a film filled with jump scares, the juxtaposition of laughs was genius.
    — Amy Lindgren, Twin Cities, 20 Sep. 2025
  • Delevingne was recently spotted filming in a black wig and — jump scare!
    — Vulture, 23 Apr. 2023
  • This adds to the suspense and leads to very loud, startling jump scares that could be too much for some young children to handle.
    — Benjamin Vanhoose, Peoplemag, 28 June 2024
  • The show’s greatest strength was never just the jump scares or the hidden ghosts tucked into background shots.
    — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Her presence provides the episode’s jump scare, adding to the menace of Irving’s dream.
    — Jen Chaney, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2025
  • There are plenty of noisy jump scares Many of the frights play with the idea of sound and silence, since the aliens hunt based on noise.
    — Benjamin Vanhoose, Peoplemag, 28 June 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'jump scare.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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