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
Residents on the upper floors on the opposite side of a building got a rude awakening as well.
—
Kris Habermehl,
CBS News,
26 June 2026
These poor Dutch and Japanese fans are about to get a rude awakening on North Texas traffic control.
—
Jim Barnes,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 June 2026
This guy, Bryce Mills, has a rude awakening.
—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
So Games 1 and 2 proved to be a rude awakening.
—
Marcus Thompson Ii,
New York Times,
13 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for rude awakening
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Kris Habermehl,
CBS News,
26 June 2026
These poor Dutch and Japanese fans are about to get a rude awakening on North Texas traffic control.
—
Jim Barnes,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 June 2026
This guy, Bryce Mills, has a rude awakening.
—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
So Games 1 and 2 proved to be a rude awakening.
—
Marcus Thompson Ii,
New York Times,
13 June 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 5 Jul. 2026.
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