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
This could be an eye-opener to what’s really sticking out.
—
Dan Hayes, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
So that was certainly a bit of an eye-opener and that's more of an industry takeaway.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 12 Dec. 2025
As rough as parts of their hometown were, Detroit was an eye-opener.
—John Carlisle, Freep.com, 13 Nov. 2025
The closeness in my race and the closeness in the president's race last year were real eye-openers.
—ABC News, 2 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for eye-opener
Dan Hayes, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
So that was certainly a bit of an eye-opener and that's more of an industry takeaway.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 12 Dec. 2025
As rough as parts of their hometown were, Detroit was an eye-opener.
—John Carlisle, Freep.com, 13 Nov. 2025
The closeness in my race and the closeness in the president's race last year were real eye-openers.
—ABC News, 2 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for eye-opener
Recent Examples of Synonyms for eye-opener
Noun
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Retail’s hiring surge reflects growing optimism that consumers will keep spending in the face of economic shocks, Stahle said.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
10 May 2026
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Strains of hantavirus can result in hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, characterized by fever, gastrointestinal symptoms, rapid progression to pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome and shock, like in individuals on the MV Hondius cruise ship, according to the World Health Organization.—
Allison Kiehl,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
Noun
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Tom Brady, who was the victim of Netflix’s last celebrity roast in 2024, made a surprise appearance at Kevin Hart’s roast Sunday to launch a few jokes at the comedian before the night got underway.—
Payton Turkeltaub,
Variety,
11 May 2026
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Deadline also asked Coogan about the surprise exit of Helena Bonham Carter, who left The White Lotus around a week into production and was later replaced by Laura Dern.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
10 May 2026
Noun
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Because Hunt knows that McCartney has heard that several times a day for 50 years, and such revelations are at minimum uninteresting and often invasive for a mega-celebrity.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
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The Broward School Board plans to consider an outside investigation, more training and more oversight in response to the revelation that the district’s logo and $150 in district money were used in connection to a Democratic fundraiser.—
Scott Travis,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Golden State Valkyries made a draft night shocker on Monday night.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
14 Apr. 2026
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But the fact that 20% of the highest earners have done zero prep for retirement is a shocker.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Damon did all that and helped start the show off with an extra jolt of energy by returning as Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in the cold open, along with last week’s ringer, Aziz Ansari, as FBI Director Kash Patel.—
Omar L. Gallaga,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
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But each of those Eastern Conference rebuilds does not figure to receive an immediate jolt up the standings with one more lottery pick.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Eye-opener.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eye-opener. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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