gut check

noun

1. a pause to assess the state, progress, or condition of something such as an enterprise or institution

Example Sentences

“My gut check is, this is bad,” said Todd Sorensen, a professor in the economics department at UC Riverside.

From Los Angeles Times

The past few weeks of stock market whipsawing have been a gut check for internet communities that swelled in numbers during the usually excellent markets of the past five years.

From Slate

So they did a gut check—they went hunting for excrement and vomit from the Polish Basin, a region of central Europe with an extensive record of fossil bones and paleoclimate data.

From Science Magazine

With the 2024 season now unsalvageable after an embarrassing loss to the 3-6 Miami Dolphins, Rams players and coaches each need a candid gut check to try to right the ship before the 2025 season kicks off in 10 months.

From Los Angeles Times

He had a pretty embarrassing event with alcohol and the police, and after some tough love from his wife, a “gut check moment”, he decided to not drink again.

From Salon