as in shock
informal
something that shows or teaches you something in a surprising way
Traveling abroad can be a real eye-opener to many people. They say her biography is quite an eye-opener.
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Recent Examples of eye-opener
Seeing Colin Blakely in Juno and the Paycock was a big eye-opener.
—
Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025
His performance at Penn State was a huge eye-opener.
—Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
That 200k number is going to be an eye-opener for a lot of people who assumed that the duo’s popularity had declined with its radio dominance.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 23 Sep. 2025
But under the hood, there are some other eye-openers.
—Tony Blengino, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for eye-opener
Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025
His performance at Penn State was a huge eye-opener.
—Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
That 200k number is going to be an eye-opener for a lot of people who assumed that the duo’s popularity had declined with its radio dominance.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 23 Sep. 2025
But under the hood, there are some other eye-openers.
—Tony Blengino, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for eye-opener
Recent Examples of Synonyms for eye-opener
Noun
-
There is a deep sense of shock at the BBC over the events of the past 24 hours, but also of anger.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
10 Nov. 2025
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And the World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting countries with its operational framework for climate-resilient health systems, offering a blueprint for countries to use these funds to build health systems that can withstand and respond to climate shocks.—
Vanessa Kerry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Wall Street’s bar for positive surprises is also rising, analysts say.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
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When Democrats called a surprise redistricting session in early October, forcing her back to Richmond just as early voting ramped up, Earle-Sears barely mentioned it on the trail, beyond holding a press conference a week before the election.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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That revelation prodded insurgents in British possessions from Ireland to Sierra Leone to take to the streets to assert their own ambitions for economic and political autonomy over the decades to come.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
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The arrest marks another extraordinary revelation involving Ray County, a mostly rural county northeast of Kansas City that has faced a series of high-profile controversies in recent years.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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But in a shocker move in September 1983, Joe Strummer kicked guitarist Mick Jones out of the band, denouncing his former mate as a rock-star sellout.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
9 Nov. 2025
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Given not only how overmatched his roster is on paper, but the fact that Willard himself called the scheduling of this game a head-scratcher, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff Neiburg, a blowout loss by Villanova would hardly be a shocker.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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My new surroundings, no doubt, amplified the psychosomatic jolt.—
David Amsden,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Nov. 2025
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This lamp from his recent CB2 collection takes all the airiness of a Noguchi paper lantern and adds a jolt of chrome and marble for something seriously sexy.—
Audrey Lee,
Architectural Digest,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Eye-opener.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eye-opener. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
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