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
My shore excursion in Cartagena was an eye-opener.
—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Apr. 2026
And while nobody specifically mentioned parking prices at Clippers home games, that $70 charge for the garage across the street from the Intuit Dome is an eye-opener.
—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
7 Apr. 2026
These two series are eye-openers about some of the ways people outside our experiences live.
—
Colleen Kujawa,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
This could be an eye-opener to what’s really sticking out.
—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for eye-opener
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Apr. 2026
And while nobody specifically mentioned parking prices at Clippers home games, that $70 charge for the garage across the street from the Intuit Dome is an eye-opener.
—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
7 Apr. 2026
These two series are eye-openers about some of the ways people outside our experiences live.
—
Colleen Kujawa,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
This could be an eye-opener to what’s really sticking out.
—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for eye-opener
Recent Examples of Synonyms for eye-opener
Noun
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Cold water shock impairs breathing and can overwhelm even strong swimmers within seconds.
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Ecuador President Daniel Noboa declared today a national holiday after the country’s soccer team reached the knockout phase of the World Cup with a shock 2-1 win over Germany.
Noun
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The race to replace Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, who announced her retirement earlier this month, led to a surprise entry by a candidate with a familiar name.
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July 3 could bring shocks or surprises; just beware of being too risky or impulsive.
Noun
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The revelation about the IRS seizure comes at a time of heightened scrutiny over taxpayer funds used to fight the homelessness crisis.
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Trump has been fuming about its revelations, and a parlor game around who-leaked-what has been underway in DC since excerpts first appeared in the Times.
Noun
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Gee, what a shocker that one of those UFC guys at the White House sounded like the mayor of Stupidville.
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The shocker was Rahm, a runner-up at the PGA Championship last month.
Noun
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The action sequences are jerky and disjointed; Supergirl’s laser eyes constitute the only occasional, if inadequate, jolt of life.
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Dorofeyev will join fellow 25-and-under forwards Alexis Lafrenière and Gabe Perreault in a top six that suddenly has a jolt of offensive potential.
Cite this Entry
“Eye-opener.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eye-opener. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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