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.
Synonyms & Similar 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
Forty years ago, the intuitive outrage of secondhand smoke was an eye-opener for many Americans.
—
David Zipper, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
On Donovan’s third day in the big leagues, there was a bench-clearing situation between the Cardinals and New York Mets, and that was an eye-opener to him.
—Jeremy Rutherford, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
Seeing the cumulative cost of impulsive purchases can be an eye-opener, motivating you to reconsider similar decisions in the future.
—True Tamplin, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025
But the eye-opener was the party breakdown in Marquette’s final Wisconsin sample: Republicans had a 4- to 5-point edge in party ID, which is considerably different from the 1- or 2-point GOP edge in party ID we were used to seeing in the 2020 and 2022 cycles.
—Craig Gilbert, Journal Sentinel, 23 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for eye-opener
David Zipper, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
On Donovan’s third day in the big leagues, there was a bench-clearing situation between the Cardinals and New York Mets, and that was an eye-opener to him.
—Jeremy Rutherford, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
Seeing the cumulative cost of impulsive purchases can be an eye-opener, motivating you to reconsider similar decisions in the future.
—True Tamplin, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025
But the eye-opener was the party breakdown in Marquette’s final Wisconsin sample: Republicans had a 4- to 5-point edge in party ID, which is considerably different from the 1- or 2-point GOP edge in party ID we were used to seeing in the 2020 and 2022 cycles.
—Craig Gilbert, Journal Sentinel, 23 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for eye-opener
Recent Examples of Synonyms for eye-opener
Noun
-
The biggest shock to anyone standing within that path and having clear weather — which certainly wasn’t everyone on April 8, 2024 — was the sight of the sun's corona, its wispy white outer atmosphere.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
-
His dissertation for his Harvard University economics PhD – appropriately for the current moment – was about how South Korea’s economy could weather external shocks.—
Mike Valerio,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Even as Paraguay continues to shock CONMEBOL and Africa’s state of qualifying has sprung some surprises, New Zealand, 86th in FIFA’s world ranking, will need to incorporate at least some of the hard-nosed approach that made 2010 a galvanizing moment.—
Jeff Rueter,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
-
That result was no surprise, according to Mitchell Elkind, MD, the chief clinical science officer at the American Heart Association.—
Emily Kay Votruba,
EverydayHealth.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
But the Bay Area revelation of Playoff Jimmy changes the calculus.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
-
To underline this point, the hour closes with the revelation that Abby’s group has finally tracked down its quarry, and are very close to Jackson.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
13 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The series built to a similar question, but the answer here is a much better shocker.—
Jesse Green,
New York Times,
11 Apr. 2025
-
Here’s a shocker: Nearly 90% of control towers across the country are understaffed, forcing controllers to work long hours under immense pressure.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
31 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
On Monday, as stocks were tumbling, a mysterious, apparently misfired tweet about a 90-day tariff relief plan briefly turned the market around in a wild jolt.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Lightning strikes may kill untold numbers of trees every year, but one tropical species has evolved to benefit from the sudden jolts of electricity.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Eye-opener.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eye-opener. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share