jump scare

noun

variants or less commonly jump-scare

ˈjəmp-ˌsker

or jumpscare

plural jump scares also jump-scares or jumpscares

: a scripted moment (as in a film or video game) intended to startle the audience

The biggest jolts in "The Omen" … come from conventionally staged jump scares, where a nasty image suddenly flashes on the screen accompanied by a startling sound effect.—

Li Wang

… differentiates itself from other VR [=virtual reality] horror games by not resorting to cheap jump-scares, instead flexing its brilliant visuals to build an atmospheric sense of foreboding.—

Chris Button

Examples of jump scare in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web These unsettling images appear in our social media feeds, sometimes as a jump scare, and sometimes as a Trojan horse. —

Maura Judkis, Washington Post, 30 June 2024 Creatures that hunt by sound take over New York City in the film, which is full of jump scares and looming death. —

Benjamin Vanhoose, Peoplemag, 28 June 2024 Often, Baker will let a conversation play out then reveal Lacy just underneath the bottom of the frame, like a jump scare. —

Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 28 June 2024 In one memorable scene, Eric comes face to face with one and narrowly escapes a vicious chomping, but a good jump scare is held a little too long, offering audiences a chance to marvel at the special effects work and giving nightmare fuel for anyone scared of globe artichokes and colonoscopies. —

Damon Wise, Deadline, 27 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for jump scare

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.