sobering

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.

The performances in “The Audacity” are uniformly remarkable, with Mr. Galifianakis executing one of those sobering transformations that suggest Albert Brooks in “Drive,” or Robin Williams in “Insomnia” or even Jackie Gleason in “The Hustler.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

Stratford’s assessment of where U.S.-China relations stand today is sobering.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

I’m sadly reminded of colleagues who never recovered, a sobering thought as we stare down the barrel of yet another employment crisis.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026

New York City Comptroller Mark Levine called the negative outlook “a sobering wake-up call about the fiscal challenges ahead for us,” noting that it is the city’s first negative outlook since the Covid-19 crisis.

From Barron's • Mar. 11, 2026

Already six people had died on Washington’s slopes in 1996, with the year barely half over—quite a sobering statistic—and there was plenty of room on the board for more.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson