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
Many restaurateurs told the L.A. Times that rolling surcharge fees into menu pricing would cost them customers due to sticker shock at an already fraught time for the industry.
—
Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2024
Those elevated prices, coupled with high interest rates, likely means shoppers will still experience sticker shock.
—Medora Lee, USA TODAY, 21 June 2024
Still, her own spending sometimes gives her sticker shock.
—Mikala Jamison, Washington Post, 12 June 2024
And that, in turn, could trigger even more severe sticker shock among restaurant customers, said Darren Matte, owner and managing partner at a number of Bay Area restaurants, including Per Diem in San Francisco, Harvest and Cocina Hermanas in Danville and Los Gatos Parkside.
—Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 6 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for sticker shock 
Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2024
Those elevated prices, coupled with high interest rates, likely means shoppers will still experience sticker shock.
—Medora Lee, USA TODAY, 21 June 2024
Still, her own spending sometimes gives her sticker shock.
—Mikala Jamison, Washington Post, 12 June 2024
And that, in turn, could trigger even more severe sticker shock among restaurant customers, said Darren Matte, owner and managing partner at a number of Bay Area restaurants, including Per Diem in San Francisco, Harvest and Cocina Hermanas in Danville and Los Gatos Parkside.
—Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 6 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for sticker shock
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sticker shock.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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 4 Jul. 2024.
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