jump scare
noun
variants
or less commonly jump-scare
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
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
Chris ButtonExamples of jump scare in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The editors give us a jump scare of past-season Daisy-Gary moments, including their messy makeout in the hot tub.
—Emma Soren, Vulture, 28 Jan. 2025
The pattern of scares matches nicely with the pattern of comedy, in the sense that the timing of a joke weirdly lines up with the timing of a jump scare.
—Abbey White, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Jan. 2025
Schrader’s take on the landmark horror franchise was to strongly emphasize its theological foundation and to eschew the traditional jump scares, a choice that frightened Morgan Creek Productions, which initially shelved the film over concerns about its commercial viability.
—Vikram Murthi, Vulture, 21 Jan. 2025
This movie is gruesome and chalked full of jump scares.
—Jordan Crucchiola, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for jump scare 
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Emma Soren, Vulture, 28 Jan. 2025
The pattern of scares matches nicely with the pattern of comedy, in the sense that the timing of a joke weirdly lines up with the timing of a jump scare.
—Abbey White, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Jan. 2025
Schrader’s take on the landmark horror franchise was to strongly emphasize its theological foundation and to eschew the traditional jump scares, a choice that frightened Morgan Creek Productions, which initially shelved the film over concerns about its commercial viability.
—Vikram Murthi, Vulture, 21 Jan. 2025
This movie is gruesome and chalked full of jump scares.
—Jordan Crucchiola, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for jump scare
Articles Related to jump scare
Dictionary Entries Near jump scare
Cite this Entry
“Jump scare.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jump%20scare. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.
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