Common
Common adjective - Often observed or encountered.
Startling
Startling adjective - Causing a strong emotional reaction because of unexpectedness.
Usage example: the startling news that my sister will be having a baby
Both words in one sentence
- This is a much more startling and frightening shot, as the camera angle is so common and generic that the violence is ten times more unexpected.
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Also, if you look at it from a sufficiently skewed perspective, Carly is Frankie Brady's sister, so when Hope dumped Bo and Bo took up with Carly... Belle and Shawn aren't cousins or even biologically related, but they do have a startling amount of relatives in common.
Source: Series / Days of Our Lives -
Although the use of an actual cat for a Cat Scare is common enough to have named the trope, the general technique of building up tension and then startling the audience with something that turns out to be harmless is also known as a "Lewton Bus".
Source: Cat Scare
Cite this Source
Startling and Common. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 16, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/common/startling
Common & Startling. N.p., 2016. Web. 16 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/common/startling>.
Startling or Common. 2016. Accessed August 16, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/common/startling.
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