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 words were a sobering declaration for any Fed chair, let alone one who until recently had spent his eight years avoiding public conflict with the president.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 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

It looked a pretty sobering weekend for McLaren to be so far off the pace after being the best car the last couple of years.

From BBC • Mar. 10, 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