sticker shock

noun

|Updated on: 21 Jun 2018

Examples: sticker shock in a Sentence

Definition of sticker shock

: astonishment and dismay experienced on being informed of a product's unexpectedly high price

See sticker shock defined for English-language learners

Examples of sticker shock in a Sentence

We left the store suffering severe sticker shock.

Recent Examples of sticker shock from the Web

Raymond Boyd Getty Images Buick buyers may be in for some sticker shock after President Donald Trump’s tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese imports.

— Fortune, "A Buick SUV May Cost an Extra $8,000 After China Tariffs," 16 June 2018
Still, the sticker shock headlines conceal some compensating realities.

— the editorial board, WSJ, "The Autumn of ObamaCare," 11 June 2018
Surge pricing in particular was an issue in the days before Uber and Lyft introduced its upfront pricing feature because, instead of telling customers how much a ride would cost, the companies used a fare multiplier that often led to sticker shock.

— tracey lien, latimes.com, "Honolulu lawmakers agree to cap surge pricing for Uber and Lyft," 7 June 2018
May 9, 2018 The hefty price tag is sure to prompt sticker shock for Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who controls the authority and declared the state of emergency last June.

— New York Times, "A Sweeping Plan to Fix the Subways Comes With a $19 Billion Price Tag," 22 May 2018
Many Americans with serious dental illness find out the same way: sticker shock.

— Washington Post, "When Is Insurance Not Really Insurance? When You Need Pricey Dental Care.," 22 May 2018
Many Americans with serious dental illness find out the same way: sticker shock.

— david tuller, CNN, "When is dentistry not medicine? When insurance is involved," 28 May 2018
Student loan payments Since most student loans don’t require payment until graduation, the monthly requirement can cause sticker shock for many graduates.

— tom cooney and crystal faulkner, Cincinnati.com, "College graduates: Tips for securing your financial future," 8 May 2018
Some places like Los Angeles and Miami have put caps on tolls to spare drivers potential sticker shock.

— scott calvert, WSJ, "Why Not All Tolls Rise to Nearly $50," 4 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sticker shock.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.