reality

awful, bitter, brutal, cold, grim, hard, harsh, painful, sad, stark

The harsh reality is that not everyone can afford to go to university.

underlying

Despite the exciting marketing campaign, the underlying reality was that the product had serious flaws.

objective, practical

We need to face the objective reality that our small budget won't cover all these expenses.

external

The camera captures external reality, but photographs can still be misleading.

commercial, economic, historical, physical, political, psychological, social

The company had to face the commercial realities of selling products in a competitive market.

virtual

Architects now use virtual reality to show clients what their new buildings will look like.

become

After years of hard work, his plan finally became a reality.

make sth

Her dream of opening a small bakery finally became a reality last year.

accept, confront (sb with), face (up to), get a grip on, grasp, wake up to

After losing his job, he finally had to accept reality and start looking for work.

bear little/no, etc. relation/resemblance to, be cut off/divorced/removed from, be out of touch with, have little/not have much to do with

Her romantic expectations bore little relation to the reality of married life.

bring sb back to, come/get back to, return to

After months of planning their dream vacation, they finally had to come back to reality and check their bank account.

distort

The politician's false claims distort reality for voters who don't check the facts.

protect/shelter/shield sb from

The school tried to protect the children from the harsh realities of poverty.

in ~

Although the restaurant looks expensive, in reality the prices are quite reasonable.

a grasp of reality

She lost her grasp of reality after months of isolation and stress.