as in shocks
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-openers
The closeness in my race and the closeness in the president's race last year were real eye-openers.
—
ABC News, 2 Nov. 2025
Beringer noted the speed and physicality of Minnesota’s preseason games have been eye-openers.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 14 Oct. 2025
But under the hood, there are some other eye-openers.
—Tony Blengino, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
ABC News, 2 Nov. 2025
Beringer noted the speed and physicality of Minnesota’s preseason games have been eye-openers.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 14 Oct. 2025
But under the hood, there are some other eye-openers.
—Tony Blengino, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for eye-openers
Noun
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But years of stockpiling could shield China from immediate supply shocks.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
4 Mar. 2026
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While the global market normally relies on spare capacity in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Kuwait to buffer against price shocks, Struyven explained that those barrels typically must flow through the Strait of Hormuz to reach global buyers.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Cornyn has signaled there’s more to come, including fresh revelations about Paxton’s record and conduct.—
Gromer Jeffers Jr,
Dallas Morning News,
4 Mar. 2026
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And when revelations from the journal of the late neurologist/author Oliver Sacks were used in a reappraisal of his work in a recent New Yorker.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Mexico was one of the surprises in the previous edition, led by Randy Arozarena.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
One of the many surprises from the election included the election day turnout numbers, Holladay said.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This could cause jolts in the energy markets.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
4 Mar. 2026
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Literal and figurative pain points included ensuring each piece properly conducting electricity, rigging every square with mechanical keyboard switches to facilitate the connections, and countless unintentional jolts.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Eye-openers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eye-openers. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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