eye-openers

noun

plural of eye-opener
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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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-openers These two series are eye-openers about some of the ways people outside our experiences live. — Colleen Kujawa, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for eye-openers
  1. shocks
  2. revelations
  3. surprises
  4. jolts
Noun
  • This man of shocks shocked once again; Cole left for Old Trafford.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 21 July 2026
  • Geopolitical shocks, economic shakiness and breakneck advances in AI have left many feeling unmoored, even pessimistic.
    — Aytekin Tank, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of shocks
Noun
  • Every few years, the high-profile saga resurfaces with new revelations and twists.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 18 July 2026
  • These revelations came to light Thursday as the FDRA held its annual meeting in Washington.
    — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 17 July 2026
Definition of revelations
Noun
  • There’s new plumbing and electric, too, so hopefully no surprises down the road.
    — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 20 July 2026
  • While researching ancient Greek hair practices, Casny came across a few surprises.
    — Sophia Panych, Allure, 20 July 2026
Definition of surprises
Noun
  • Additional jolts of sophistication come courtesy of a custom Area Environments wall covering, a gold mirror from Made Goods, Jiun Ho sconces, and German photographer Ellen von Unwerth’s black and white snapshot of a carefree Naomi Campbell.
    — Alia Akkam, Architectural Digest, 13 July 2026
  • Takeoff and landing are when many aviation incidents occur—they’re considered the most critical phases of a flight and when an aircraft is most vulnerable to sudden, unexpected jolts of motion.
    — Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 30 June 2026
Definition of jolts

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eye-opener
eye-openers
eye-opening
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Cite this Entry

“Eye-openers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eye-openers. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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