wake-up call

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wake-up call
Noun
  • Israel’s military said Friday that its forces were planning fresh assaults into three neighborhoods west of Gaza City and issued warnings on social media for Palestinians to evacuate the areas.
    Bassem Mroue and Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2025
  • The warning was issued Saturday at 9:49 a.m., and the latest update about this incident was released on Saturday at 10:24 a.m.
    Kansas City Star Bot, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Perhaps that more than anything was a red flag for Briere, considering some of the coach’s missteps a year ago.
    Kevin Kurz, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
  • Across both states, the weather service issued red flag warnings on Wednesday.
    Christopher Cann, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • State police said the driver later allegedly blew through a red light at the intersection of Kelly Road and Route 83 before continuing north on Route 83, the warrant affidavits said.
    Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 27 Mar. 2025
  • Bosworth reveals that she's been obsessed with red light therapy and has gotten her husband into the trend.
    Michelle Lee, People.com, 24 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The tulip is considered one of the biggest signs of warmer months on the horizon and as such, tulip festivals have become a very popular attraction all over the world.
    Kaitlyn McInnis, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
  • Aside from waiting until the average last frost date has passed, the seedlings will give signs when they can be transplanted outside.
    Lauren David, Southern Living, 23 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Wake-up call.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wake-up%20call. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.

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