rude awakening
noun
: surprising and unpleasant discovery that one is mistaken
He thinks he can get by without doing any work, but he is in for a rude awakening.
Examples of rude awakening in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Tennessee native took the squad to the US this summer, where they were given a rude awakening.
—
Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Former Carolina Panthers and Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich has had a rude awakening thus far following his migration to the ACC.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025
Personally, it’s still been a bit of a rude awakening to get pitches about Thanksgiving turkey prices just days after Labor Day.
—Chloe Sorvino, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Buyers expecting complete privacy can get a rude awakening.
—Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rude awakening
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Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Former Carolina Panthers and Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich has had a rude awakening thus far following his migration to the ACC.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025
Personally, it’s still been a bit of a rude awakening to get pitches about Thanksgiving turkey prices just days after Labor Day.
—Chloe Sorvino, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Buyers expecting complete privacy can get a rude awakening.
—Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rude awakening
Cite this Entry
“Rude awakening.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rude%20awakening. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
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