leap out at

phrasal verb

leaped out at or leapt out at; leaping at; leaps out at

: to suddenly come at (someone) from a hiding place

The man leaped out at her from behind a shrub.

: to immediately get the attention of (someone)

The picture on the magazine's cover leaps out at you.

Examples of leap out at in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Even the film’s one or two glimmers of hope, which only leap out at the very end, appear as mere mirages in a desert of drugs and American decline. —

Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2024 Honey is also one of the first notes that leaps out at you on the nose, along with vanilla and apricot. —

Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 14 July 2024 This session was led by a former UN moderator, who seemed absurdly terrified of them, poised in her chair as if ready to leap out at a moment’s notice. —

Hazlitt, 24 Jan. 2024 Marian McLain is bottled at higher 102 proof, but that doesn’t leap out at you on the nose. —

Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 30 Apr. 2023

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