wake-up

1 of 2

adjective

: serving to wake up
a wake-up alarm

wake up

2 of 2

verb

woke up also waked up; woken up also waked up; waking up; wakes up

transitive + intransitive

a
: to cease sleeping : to become awake
I woke up late this morning.
When I woke up on Monday the sky was the color of mercury, and the air was heavy with moisture.Ann M. Martin
b
: to rouse (a person or animal) from or as if from sleep
The sound of a door slamming woke him up.
c
: to become aware or to make (someone) aware of something (such as an existing problem or danger)
They finally woke up and realized what was happening.
usually used with to
a study that woke people up to the importance of regular exercise
In 1997, … Jacob Nielsen predicted that if newspapers didn't wake up to the threat of online classified advertising and dominate the field by 1998, many of them would die within a decade.Emily Benedek
d
: to make (something) active : arouse, stir
"And what joy and cheerfulness it wakes up within us, to see all nature beaming in brightness and sunshine …" added Alice …Charles Dickens

Examples of wake-up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Adjective
This decision tragically ended her life, and her parents hope this terrible accident serves as a wake-up call for other families. Sarah Scott, Parents, 12 June 2025 The research by de Figueiredo, Hashimoto and Thorley serves as a crucial wake-up call: technological solutions alone cannot solve constitutional problems. Lars Daniel, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025
Verb
Because radios are still in cars, and people are waking up every morning all around the country and turning on this free entertainment. Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 23 June 2025 Guo, who dropped out of college and built her fortune in the tech industry, says her grueling daily schedule—waking up at 5:30 am and working until midnight—doesn’t feel like work to her at all. Jason Ma, Fortune, 22 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for wake-up

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1946, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1767, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wake-up was in 1767

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wake-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wake-up. Accessed 27 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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