All 4 Uses

sober
in
Flags of Our Fathers
(Auto-generated)

Howlin' Mad Smith himself was sobered by what he had witnessed.†
Chpt 9.
On Thursday the banner headline brought sobering news: MARINES HALTED ON IWO, NEAR FIRST AIRFIELD.†
Chpt 12.
Saturday, February 24, brought a still more sobering headline: MARINES GAIN SLOWLY IN CENTER OF IWO.†
Chpt 12. *
Over his protests—he'd already raised one flag on Iwo, he didn't know why he had to raise another—Beech and others hauled him back to the hotel, poured ice water over him, and "slapped him into something resembling sobriety."†
Chpt 16. *

Definitions:

(1) (sober as in: Talk to me when your sober.)
not under the influence of alcohol
(2) (sober up as in: I need to sober up.)
to become less drunk or intoxicated
(3) (sobering as in: a sobering thought)
serious or calm (not silly or excited); or making one serious or less excited
(4) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)
More rarely, sober can refer to one who is rational rather than under the influence of extreme emotion. Also more rarely, it can reference that which is practical rather than fanciful -- such as "a more sober plan."