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.
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Recent Examples of eye-opener
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
Seeing Colin Blakely in Juno and the Paycock was a big eye-opener.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 7 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
See All Example Sentences for eye-opener
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
Seeing Colin Blakely in Juno and the Paycock was a big eye-opener.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 7 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
See All Example Sentences for eye-opener
Recent Examples of Synonyms for eye-opener
Noun
-
In the following months, painful shocks radiated through her chest and back.—
Brett Kelman,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Unlike past economic shocks to the system, such as the Great Recession or Covid, there will be fewer tools for the government to use to lessen the blow for businesses and consumers.—
Kevin Williams,
CNBC,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The surprise is that there’s an American city that has pursued a similar approach, and the greater surprise is that the city is Hoboken, New Jersey, better known as a post-industrial port and bedroom community across the Hudson River from Manhattan.—
Eric Klinenberg,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
But Beren is definitely a surprise.—
Bud Kennedy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
However, the ink was barely dry when new revelations emerged last week that pose a fresh headache for Cannon.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Not every entry in an artist’s catalog has to be a revelation; perhaps Ricochet’s pleasant filler is a necessary step in the evolution of Jordan’s artistry and the trajectory of Snail Mail as a band.—
Grace Robins-Somerville,
Pitchfork,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In perhaps the biggest shocker, Bosnia and Herzegovina outlasted Italy on penalty kicks to return to the World Cup for the first time since 2014.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Hoiberg’s adversary Thursday in Houston, Iowa’s Ben McCollum — in the first Sweet 16 ever for Nebraska and first in 27 years for Iowa — just sent it right back the other way to vicious trash-talker Todd Golden amid a shocker over Florida.—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The exercise, much like a sprint, is meant to invigorate an artist's year with an intense jolt of art-making.—
Anya Sesay,
jsonline.com,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The first jolt of excitement for the Golden State Warriors in far too long.—
Sports Columnist,
San Francisco Chronicle,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Eye-opener.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eye-opener. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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