woke up also waked up; woken up also waked up; waking up; wakes up
: awake entry 1, wake entry 1: such as
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
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 toa 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
Emily BenedekExamples of wake-up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Jon MacHota, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025
That early career disappointment was a wake-up call.
—Dria James, refinery29.com, 12 Feb. 2025
Amy McGorry, Fox News, 23 Feb. 2025
Layer sauerkraut onto your favorite sandwich or wrap for a tangy crunch that wakes up your taste buds.
—Food Drink Life, Boston Herald, 22 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wake-up
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
The Commanders making the NFC Championship Game and the Eagles dominating in the Super Bowl should be the loudest wake-up calls to the Cowboys that their ways need to change.
—Jon MacHota, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025
That early career disappointment was a wake-up call.
—Dria James, refinery29.com, 12 Feb. 2025
Verb
People in this category typically wake up around 7:30 a.m., are groggy in the morning and are most productive between the hours of 1 and 5 p.m., according to the Sleep Foundation.
—Amy McGorry, Fox News, 23 Feb. 2025
Layer sauerkraut onto your favorite sandwich or wrap for a tangy crunch that wakes up your taste buds.
—Food Drink Life, Boston Herald, 22 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wake-up
Cite this Entry
“Wake-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wake-up. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share