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Synonyms

eye-opener

British  

noun

  1. something startling or revealing

  2. an alcoholic drink taken early in the morning

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

"It will be an eye-opener for the new players against Aberdeen at Pittodrie," Stevenson said.

From BBC Jul. 28, 2026

But the even bigger eye-opener was that the segment’s profitability is increasing, even as it quickly scales.

From Barron's May 1, 2026

“When those guys initially slided, it was an eye-opener for the rest of the world, that a Caribbean nation could actually compete. They inspired us.”

From Los Angeles Times Feb. 14, 2026

Milner describes his time in the lower leagues as a "bit of an eye-opener", with Swindon's players bringing their own pasta to eat on the team bus.

From BBC Feb. 6, 2026

A glance at it is an eye-opener to all of us accustomed to thinking of China as monolithic.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

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