1
as in surprising
causing a strong emotional reaction because of unexpectedness
hunting for a first apartment in a big city is an eye-opening experience for young people
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in wonderful
causing wonder or astonishment
that acclaimed magic act had a number of eye-opening moments
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of eye-opening
Bill Self in all his years of coaching basketball — that’s 23 seasons at Kansas and 10 combined at Oral Roberts, Tulsa and Illinois — has seen some incredible players put on eye-opening performances in their major college debuts.
—
Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 25 Oct. 2025
Phillips is enjoying the Broncos’ success, following closely as Joseph, a former young assistant under him, continues to dial up eye-opening blitzes and confusing coverages.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 18 Oct. 2025
On top of that, the snap counts against the Saints were eye-opening.
—Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Another eye-opening breakthrough is what Fernando calls the Agentic AI Chemist.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2025
Doing that while pregnant was both challenging and eye-opening.
—Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 25 Sep. 2025
Losing Lamb is an eye-opening reality for Dallas.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
An eye-opening download may prompt you to question your worldview.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 20 Sep. 2025
Bulgari Octo Finissimo x Lee Ufan Tourbillon Marble Talking to Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani of Bulgari about the latest member of the increasingly artful side of the Bulgari Finissimo family was eye-opening, as was the work of Lee Ufan.
—Thor Svaboe, Robb Report, 9 Sep. 2025
Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 25 Oct. 2025
Phillips is enjoying the Broncos’ success, following closely as Joseph, a former young assistant under him, continues to dial up eye-opening blitzes and confusing coverages.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 18 Oct. 2025
On top of that, the snap counts against the Saints were eye-opening.
—Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Another eye-opening breakthrough is what Fernando calls the Agentic AI Chemist.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2025
Doing that while pregnant was both challenging and eye-opening.
—Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 25 Sep. 2025
Losing Lamb is an eye-opening reality for Dallas.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
An eye-opening download may prompt you to question your worldview.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 20 Sep. 2025
Bulgari Octo Finissimo x Lee Ufan Tourbillon Marble Talking to Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani of Bulgari about the latest member of the increasingly artful side of the Bulgari Finissimo family was eye-opening, as was the work of Lee Ufan.
—Thor Svaboe, Robb Report, 9 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for eye-opening
Adjective
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Jones has said the most surprising moment of the season was the 44-30 loss at Detroit that ended the winning streak and sent the Cowboys tumbling to a 1-4 finish.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Jan. 2026
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Another surprising element of Zubimendi’s game has been his aerial prowess, despite standing at 5ft 11in (180cm).—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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This has been a wonderful season.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Jan. 2026
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Keep reading to discover all of the wonderful possibilities this tiny home unlocks, for just $9,800.—
Caroline Hughes,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The startling moment quickly grabbed attention online, with the video racking up more than 9 million views.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
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The urgency of their missing is underscored by startling numbers uncovered in our CBS Data Team investigation, which found that in 2025 domestic violence accounted for 26% of all violent crimes in Chicago.—
Marissa Perlman,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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What an amazing group of women to journey through this mom-hood together!—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Jan. 2026
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Fresh talks can spark amazing progress.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The shocking decision sends ripples through the Washington program and the college football transfer portal.—
The Athletic College Football Staff,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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There are some great twists and turns leading to a shocking but very satisfying ending.—
Will Harris,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Less noted is the incredible mosaic of voters from an astonishing medley of countries that propelled him into office.—
Vijay Dandapani,
New York Daily News,
8 Jan. 2026
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Some of the other largest deals in recent memory are cyber security, including Palo Alto Network’s astonishing $25 billion acquisition of CyberArk in 2025.—
Allie Garfinkle,
Fortune,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Costa Blanca is stunning from dry land, but exploring by water offers an opportunity to see the coastline from a new perspective.—
Liz Provencher,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Jan. 2026
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Read on for more on-sale Kate Spade purses worth checking out, including a chic suede laptop bag, a leather commuter tote, and a stunning blue oversized shoulder bag.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Philbin’s staff also featured Ben Johnson, whose Chicago Bears just won a wild card round of this year’s playoffs with yet another miraculous fourth-quarter comeback.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
11 Jan. 2026
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After Carson Beck scampered for a score with 18 seconds left, Ole Miss had one last miraculous effort as Trinidad Chambliss threw a deep ball into the end zone.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
10 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Eye-opening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eye-opening. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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