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 Tapping into terror and mean-spiritedness similar to Megan Is Missing, Dark Web holds you in its sweaty grip from start to finish with some clever editing and a nice spattering of jump scares. —

Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 13 Sep. 2024 But not all reflections are jump scares in waiting, and not all victims and predators are distinguishable. —

Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2024 All in all, there should be no shortage of jump scares. —

Erik Petersen, Sun Sentinel, 7 Aug. 2024 One of those more expressive scenes was definitely Raymond’s nightmare in Episode 3 when his head explodes, which might be the most unexpected and gruesome jump scare of the year. —

Hunter Ingram, Variety, 17 July 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.