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
-
Sourcing & Methodology This article was generated by software that analyzes National Weather Service warnings and advisories and creates an article based on templates created by humans.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
Mercury News,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Here there’s no warning, no provocation.—
Geraldo Cadava,
New Yorker,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The program teaches participants how to identify red flags, spot fake communications and avoid sharing sensitive information under pressure.—
Kennedy Hayes,
FOXNews.com,
15 Oct. 2025
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But the red flags are there, too.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
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This probe covers dozens of dangerous driving incidents, including blowing through red lights, driving in the wrong lane of traffic, and three accidents that resulted in five injuries.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
13 Oct. 2025
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The opening introduces her character aglow in red light, complemented by a narrated monologue, vaguely written but delivered as pure, possibly suicidal despair.—
J. Kim Murphy,
Variety,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
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As early as 2014, scientists had discovered signs of sea star wasting disease in at least twenty species across the Pacific coast.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
17 Oct. 2025
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To Be Nervous Almost everyone gets some sign of jitters before speaking, even seasoned pros.—
Nathan Green,
Rolling Stone,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wake-up call.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wake-up%20call. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
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