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sticker shock
noun
: astonishment and dismay experienced on being informed of a product's unexpectedly high price
Examples of sticker shock in a Sentence
We left the store suffering severe sticker shock.
Recent Examples on the Web
Even big ticket purchases, like a $2,000 mattress set, would trigger sticker shock.
—Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 4 Nov. 2024
But economic pain — inflation, a lack of affordable housing, sticker shock when filling gas tanks and grocery carts, fears about steady employment and sustainable wages that can support their families — is acute in conversations with voters in Nevada.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2024
However, as Moody’s notes, that sticker shock is offset by the fact that the typical household is also making $1,193 more per month than January 2021.
—Matt Egan, CNN, 29 Oct. 2024
Fearing a political backlash to the sticker shock of higher rates, the California Public Utilities Commission has allowed PG&E to increase rates only in installments (4 hikes in 2024 alone).
—Nives Dolsak and Aseem Prakash, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1981, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near sticker shock
Cite this Entry
“Sticker shock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sticker%20shock. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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