wake up and smell the coffee/roses

idiom

US, informal

: to realize the truth about one's situation : to become aware of what is really happening

These problems are not going to fix themselves. Voters need to wake up and smell the coffee and elect someone who will get things done.

Examples of wake up and smell the coffee/roses in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

All that’s left is for San Diegans to wake up and smell the coffee on the way in and divine the music inside. —

Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2024 Mayor Karen Bass better wake up and smell the coffee. —

Letters To The Editor, Orange County Register, 14 Aug. 2024 People need to wake up and smell the coffee on that. —

Andy Mills, Quartz, 21 June 2024 So, wake up and smell the coffee, and clean that coffee maker today! —

USA TODAY, 6 Apr. 2024 Get it right before Mars issues a strident call to wake up and smell the coffee. —

SFChronicle.com, 11 Aug. 2020

Dictionary Entries Near wake up and smell the coffee/roses

wake up

wake up and smell the coffee/roses

wake-up call

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“Wake up and smell the coffee/roses.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wake%20up%20and%20smell%20the%20coffee%2Froses. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

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