sticker shock
noun
: astonishment and dismay experienced on being informed of a product's unexpectedly high price
Examples of sticker shock in a Sentence
We left the store suffering severe sticker shock.
Recent Examples on the Web
And yeah, its premium pricing isn’t exactly what a lot of customers are looking for right now, with sluggish sales and sticker shock keeping many people tethered to their gas engines.
—
Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 30 May 2024
Inflation has come down, but isn’t back to manageable levels, as grocery store prices still induce sticker shock for customers.
—Paolo Confino, Fortune, 29 May 2024
That said, while Ticketmaster isn’t primarily responsible for the bulk of concert price inflation, the fees add up, leading to sticker shock.
—Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2024
Unfortunately, with the passage of the multi-billion-dollar Kirwan Plan, Marylanders are experiencing sticker shock for education spending.
—David Williams, Baltimore Sun, 29 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sticker shock 
Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 30 May 2024
Inflation has come down, but isn’t back to manageable levels, as grocery store prices still induce sticker shock for customers.
—Paolo Confino, Fortune, 29 May 2024
That said, while Ticketmaster isn’t primarily responsible for the bulk of concert price inflation, the fees add up, leading to sticker shock.
—Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2024
Unfortunately, with the passage of the multi-billion-dollar Kirwan Plan, Marylanders are experiencing sticker shock for education spending.
—David Williams, Baltimore Sun, 29 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sticker shock
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sticker shock.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near sticker shock
Cite this Entry
“Sticker shock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sticker%20shock. Accessed 6 Jun. 2024.
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