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.
Related Words
Relevance
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
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
-
This was an aberrance by definition and by form; our collective sanity depends on retaining the ability to parse out instances of this kind of ambient shock and pain.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
28 Feb. 2026
-
In return, the Guard became his loyal shock force.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
By Saturday morning, the US and Israel had launched a surprise attack on Iran.—
Abbas Al Lawati,
CNN Money,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Wall Street has continually expressed its pleasant surprise at how remarkably well consumers have held up since the pandemic.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Peter Attia resigns from CBS News Celebrity doctor Peter Attia has resigned from his new contributor position at CBS News following revelations about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
24 Feb. 2026
-
The revelation has sent ripples through the state, pausing the Lowell murder trial of brothers Billy, Channa, and Billoeum Phan earlier this month.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In something of a shocker, Robert Aramayo won Lead Actor at the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards for his performance in I Swear.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
22 Feb. 2026
-
But Broome, then a freshman, went off with 27 points and 12 rebounds to score a shocker for Morehead State.—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The downtown Dallas dinner spot got a jolt again when chef-owner Paul Ko hired RJ Yoakum, formerly of Dallas restaurant Georgie.—
Sarah Blaskovich,
Dallas Morning News,
1 Mar. 2026
-
The power of that jolt is amped up far beyond expectations when a dozen dancers become 54.—
Jed Gottlieb,
Boston Herald,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Eye-opener.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eye-opener. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
