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
-
Whenever using space heaters in a bathroom or kitchen, take all precautions to reduce the risk of electric shock whether that's positioning your heater away from water sources like sinks and showers.—
Shivani Vyas,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Jan. 2026
-
While Owens’ retirement was a bit of a shock at first, Moore said the new board and committee volunteers are super excited about what is possible for the center.—
Karen Billing,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Half the enjoyment of these toys is being able to carefully break open the egg to reveal the surprise creature inside.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
9 Jan. 2026
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The design from Takeshi Kata is intensifying hyper-realistic and comes with a surprise sting in its tail, not to mention some gorgeous vistas from the great Chicago lighting designer Heather Gilbert, who send shafts of light into the play’s motel room of the paranoid.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The revelation suggested the committee was no longer functioning as an independent source of guidance but doing Kennedy’s bidding.—
Grayson Logue,
Washington Post,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The administration has zeroed in on Minnesota following revelations of large-scale fraud involving social service programs in the Minneapolis area.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The Hoos amassed nine blocks — not a shocker for a Cavs’ defense that ranks second nationally in block rate, per KenPom.—
Jim Root,
New York Times,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Breadon’s win came as a last-minute shocker.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The basket and the crowd's reaction gave Calipari a jolt on the sideline.—
Matt Byrne,
Arkansas Online,
5 Jan. 2026
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The Anteaters withstood an early jolt from Cal State Fullerton in their Big West Conference matchup, but came back with several blows of their own in an 86-64 win at Titan Gym.—
Dan Arritt,
Oc Register,
4 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Eye-opener.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eye-opener. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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