as in warning
something that tells of approaching danger or risk
his high blood pressure was a wake-up call that he needed to do something about his health
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wake-up call
The persistence of that finding should be a wake-up call for employers already battling high turnover and labor shortages.
—
Wire Services, Dallas News, 22 Mar. 2023
Those efforts show the pandemic has been a wake-up call, Horowitz said.
—Rachel Scott, ABC News, 22 Mar. 2023
Texas is on an entirely different level than those teams and had a bit of a wake-up call against Penn State.
—Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic, 20 Mar. 2023
Most important, the Fed and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) got a wake-up call that their oversight of middle-size banks has been dangerously lax.
—Doyle McManus, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for wake-up call
Wire Services, Dallas News, 22 Mar. 2023
Those efforts show the pandemic has been a wake-up call, Horowitz said.
—Rachel Scott, ABC News, 22 Mar. 2023
Texas is on an entirely different level than those teams and had a bit of a wake-up call against Penn State.
—Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic, 20 Mar. 2023
Most important, the Fed and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) got a wake-up call that their oversight of middle-size banks has been dangerously lax.
—Doyle McManus, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for wake-up call
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wake-up call
Noun
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The blackout should come as little surprise to YouTube TV subscribers, who for the last week have seen announcements warning of a stalemate.—
Liam Reilly,
CNN Money,
31 Oct. 2025
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The regulator is examining 142,600 units of the 2023-2024 Honda Pilot SUV for a possible malfunction in the rear seatbelt warning system, which may incorrectly alert drivers about passenger seatbelt usage.—
Nandan Mandayam,
USA Today,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The absence of either can and should feel like a big red flag to drinkers.—
Oset Babür-Winter,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
29 Oct. 2025
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Airbnb’s cofounder and CEO Brian Chesky is one the most outspoken leaders in the business world waving the red flag on loneliness.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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For example, orange lights mark the warm-up segment to activate body’s core, red lights are used for the toning and strength sections, while blue ones define the more relaxing cool-down and stretching bits.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
28 Oct. 2025
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The vehicle headed toward 291 Highway, running through a red light.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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With unpredictable twists and emotions running high, this Halloween is especially chaotic, and Mutable signs — Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces — can't imagine what's in store.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
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Front-foot defending and slick attacking interplay, especially on the left flank, has been the blueprint over the past few seasons, but there are signs of evolution.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wake-up call.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wake-up%20call. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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