eye-opener

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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of eye-opener 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 The 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne would be an eye-opener for Dellinger and Bowerman. Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 29 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for eye-opener
Recent Examples of Synonyms for eye-opener
Noun
  • African commodities have long been essential to the modern global economy, but the world tends to ignore that fact until trade shocks or geopolitical crises occur.
    Anu Adedoyin Adasolum, semafor.com, 13 Oct. 2025
  • Applause is heard in the background as the wife is shown beaming a smile before placing her hand over her face, seemingly in shock.
    Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Same reason Japanese sensation Roki Sasaki – who has emerged as the Dodgers’ surprise solution at closer – brought his talents here.
    Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Jude Bellingham’s omission from the England squad for their latest round of World Cup qualifiers was a surprise.
    Phil Hay, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The revelation immediately erupted into a political crisis, with the head of prisons dismissed and Guatemalans threatening to protest.
    New York Times, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
  • At some point following the Christian revelation in the New Testament the decision was taken in heaven to change the day of the Sabbath from the Jewish Saturday to the Christian Sunday.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Meanwhile, Justin Herbert’s late-game heroics (under pressure, shocker) put a small Band-Aid over their multi-game slide.
    The Athletic NFL Staff, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
  • Rather than resting on her laurels after all of the awards and acclaim, the actor went bolder, taking center stage in Lars von Trier’s arthouse shocker tracking a troubled woman hiding out from her volatile gangster father in a rural Colorado community that eventually turns against her.
    Radhika Seth, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Takaichi’s rise delivers a jolt to Japan’s political landscape.
    Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2025
  • The following week, against the Chargers, McCaffrey had his 50-yard catch up the middle to give the offense a jolt shortly before halftime.
    Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Eye-opener.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eye-opener. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

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