startle up

verb

To flush a target, usually birds and often accidentally.

“Take care not to startle up the quail.”

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Meanings

verbstartle up (third-person singular simple present startles up, present participle startling up, simple past and past participle startled up)

present singular third person startles up · participle present startling up · participle past startled up · past startled up

  1. datedTo flush a target, usually birds and often accidentally.

    Take care not to startle up the quail.

Cite this entry
APA

startle up. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/startle%20up

MLA

“startle up.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/startle%20up. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “startle up,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/startle%20up.

Source: startle up on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.