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
Relevance
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of eye-opening
The eclipse will be eye-opening and push us to make necessary changes.
—
Lisa Stardust, Vogue, 2 Mar. 2026
In that regard, this was eye-opening.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 25 Feb. 2026
Read on for the eye-opening results.
—Tracy Perez Han, InStyle, 20 Feb. 2026
Paul said Altman’s preference for brevity was eye-opening for him.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 18 Feb. 2026
Silverblatt said Black Monday — the biggest single-day stock market drop in history on October 19, 1987 — still stands out as one of the most eye-opening and memorable moments of his career.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 16 Feb. 2026
The bodycam video was an eye-opening look at the frightening aftermath of the Brown campus shooting when police were searching room-by-room for the suspect, trying to comfort and care for terrified students, and trying to coordinate with campus police to get past locked doors.
—Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 9 Feb. 2026
Marino’s thoughts on Tagovailoa, however, were particularly eye-opening.
—Miami Herald, 7 Feb. 2026
Their film was more eye-opening than the raw numbers.
—Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Lisa Stardust, Vogue, 2 Mar. 2026
In that regard, this was eye-opening.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 25 Feb. 2026
Read on for the eye-opening results.
—Tracy Perez Han, InStyle, 20 Feb. 2026
Paul said Altman’s preference for brevity was eye-opening for him.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 18 Feb. 2026
Silverblatt said Black Monday — the biggest single-day stock market drop in history on October 19, 1987 — still stands out as one of the most eye-opening and memorable moments of his career.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 16 Feb. 2026
The bodycam video was an eye-opening look at the frightening aftermath of the Brown campus shooting when police were searching room-by-room for the suspect, trying to comfort and care for terrified students, and trying to coordinate with campus police to get past locked doors.
—Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 9 Feb. 2026
Marino’s thoughts on Tagovailoa, however, were particularly eye-opening.
—Miami Herald, 7 Feb. 2026
Their film was more eye-opening than the raw numbers.
—Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for eye-opening
Adjective
-
The San Felipe Stakes was not the only Derby prep race Saturday, nor the only one with a surprising result.—
Jay Posner,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The result revealed a surprising pattern—superconductivity appeared and strengthened over a specific range of conditions, forming a curved region known as a superconducting dome.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The state should leave well enough alone and let the Connecticut homeschool community educate their children in many wonderful ways.—
Nicholas Tampio,
Hartford Courant,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Another wonderful spot is McIntire Park, especially the Dogwood Vietnam Memorial section.—
Abby Price,
Southern Living,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The United States has released some startling statistics of its now week-long operation in Iran.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Bale’s startling as a good guy who’s in danger of going bad.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
From the very beginning, she was determined and had this amazing self-belief.—
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
11 Mar. 2026
-
The flip side • Kudos to Courtney and Ewan for doing an amazing job of leading two buses of very excited first-graders through the Orlando Wetlands on a field trip!—
Ticked Off,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
News was spreading through the gym that Sage Hill had just upset Sierra Canyon 57-54 in Chatsworth in the other Open semifinal — one of the most shocking upsets in state basketball history.—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The Defense Department’s reliance on Anthropic’s AI came as a shocking realization that ultimately led to their dramatic schism, according to a top Pentagon official.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
And 17 teams were consistent losers, led by the Raiders, who failed at an astonishing nine of 10 hires.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Sharpshooter Chris Ashby led the way for Queens, scoring 34 points and hitting an astonishing 10 3-pointers, many of them in transition when Queens attacked the Central Arkansas trap.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Whether looking for florals, lace, beading, or ruffles, there are lots of stunning plus-size dresses for spring weddings.—
Anna Popp,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
-
This cool texture also doubles as stunning spring nail art.—
Audrey Noble,
Vogue,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Out of desperation, Carol is lured into the digital wellness retreat called DreamQuil, run by a vague corporate entity promising a miraculous rejuvenation on the other side.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Mar. 2026
-
An American man won the Los Angeles Marathon for the second-straight year after Nathan Martin pulled off a miraculous comeback for an epic finish.—
Austin Turner,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Eye-opening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eye-opening. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
