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
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Utah kids using VPNs to access adult content are set for a rude awakening this week as SB 73 goes into effect to crack down on the practice.
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Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 5 May 2026
But the coaches Ferguson thought would stay on to provide continuity — Mike Phelan, Rene Meulensteen, and Eric Steele — left when Moyes wanted to go his own way, and the scale of the club was a rude awakening for the new boss on the club’s pre-season tour of Australia.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Based on the Season 4 premiere, the town’s residents, who yearn to escape, are now in for a rude awakening.
—Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
Folks who have gotten used to one of the warmest Februarys on record were in for a rude awakening Friday morning as a cold front ushered in much colder weather overnight, according to the National Weather Service.
—Kansas City Star, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rude awakening
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Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 5 May 2026
But the coaches Ferguson thought would stay on to provide continuity — Mike Phelan, Rene Meulensteen, and Eric Steele — left when Moyes wanted to go his own way, and the scale of the club was a rude awakening for the new boss on the club’s pre-season tour of Australia.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Based on the Season 4 premiere, the town’s residents, who yearn to escape, are now in for a rude awakening.
—Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
Folks who have gotten used to one of the warmest Februarys on record were in for a rude awakening Friday morning as a cold front ushered in much colder weather overnight, according to the National Weather Service.
—Kansas City Star, 20 Feb. 2026
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 18 May. 2026.
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