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
  • The warning about the security measures put in place were posted on the naval base’s Facebook page.
    Washington Examiner Staff, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 26 Feb. 2025
  • The State Department has issued a travel warning for U.S. citizens in Tamaulipas, citing high crime and kidnappings amid ongoing violence between drug cartels.
    Louis Casiano, Fox News, 26 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Demko is one of the most talented goalies in the NHL and has a higher ceiling than Lankinen, but the former’s durability is a huge red flag at this point.
    Harman Dayal, The Athletic, 18 Feb. 2025
  • Later on, a smaller rain cell passed over the track, causing another red flag before racing resumed again.
    Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 17 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • The space has been decorated with red lights and pillows as a nod to the new product.
    Hikmat Mohammed, WWD, 18 Feb. 2025
  • Balde, 24, was traveling through a steady red light, police said.
    Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 18 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • The cost of winning Bregman is the clearest sign thus far that the Red Sox are completing a circle of their own, getting back to being the type of franchise that prioritizes winning.
    Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 16 Feb. 2025
  • That’s the annual sign Javier Báez has arrived at spring training.
    Cody Stavenhagen, The Athletic, 16 Feb. 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 2 Mar. 2025.

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