reality check

American  

noun

1. a corrective confronting of reality, in order to counteract one's expectations, prejudices, or the like.

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reality check British  

noun

1. an occasion or opportunity to consider a matter realistically or honestly

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reality check Idioms  

1. An assessment to determine if one's circumstances or expectations conform to reality, as in Time for a reality check—wasn't this supposed to be a money-making enterprise? [Slang; second half of 1900s]

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Etymology

Origin of reality check

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

reality check

Teirab, a former Marine and a Harvard Law graduate who’d run unsuccessfully for Congress as a Republican, responded with a blunt reality check.

From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026

But this movement, he says, has restored hope: "This movement has brought back space for question and dissent and the reality check that all is not over."

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

Those AI winners now face a reality check as investors start demanding proof that the huge sums poured into AI will yield actual profits and productivity gains.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026

Stay for a great reality check on A.I., and an optimistic read on the interaction between machine and human intelligence.

From Slate ● Jun. 22, 2026

"Of course she does. But she has you around to give her a reality check from time to time."

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda