a shock to the/someone's system
idiom
: something that has a sudden and usually unpleasant effect on someone
The cold weather was a shock to my system after being in the tropics.
For freshmen, college life can be a real shock to the system.
Examples of a shock to the/someone's system in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Just to step through that studio was enough of a shock to the system.
—
Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 7 June 2024
Some describe the actors and writers strikes as a shock to the system that highlighted the value of building savings in a volatile industry.
—Katie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Feb. 2024
Now, Trump was certainly a shock to the system in 2016, accelerating political trends by pulling more white voters without a college degree into the GOP fold and pushing many college graduates toward the Democrats.
—Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 14 Mar. 2024
That one-two shuffle — wherein the motion picture industry gets rocked by a shock to the system, followed by an adaptation that not only meets the challenge but turns it to advantage — set a pattern for Hollywood’s crisis management forever after.
—Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Dec. 2023
See all Example Sentences for a shock to the/someone's system 
Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 7 June 2024
Some describe the actors and writers strikes as a shock to the system that highlighted the value of building savings in a volatile industry.
—Katie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Feb. 2024
Now, Trump was certainly a shock to the system in 2016, accelerating political trends by pulling more white voters without a college degree into the GOP fold and pushing many college graduates toward the Democrats.
—Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 14 Mar. 2024
That one-two shuffle — wherein the motion picture industry gets rocked by a shock to the system, followed by an adaptation that not only meets the challenge but turns it to advantage — set a pattern for Hollywood’s crisis management forever after.
—Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Dec. 2023
See all Example Sentences for a shock to the/someone's system
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'a shock to the/someone's system.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“A shock to the/someone's system.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20shock%20to%20the%2Fsomeone%27s%20system. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.
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