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
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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
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
-
Graphic videos of both atrocities spread quickly and widely online this week, appearing in people's social media feeds, often with little-to-no warning.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
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Qatar also boasts one of the most advanced early warning radar systems in the region, coupled with Patriot air defense missile system.—
Oren Liebermann,
CNN Money,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Here are seven red flags to keep in mind.—
Caroline Castrillon,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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But the biggest red flag comes in the first episode when Laura sees Cherry punch a guy on the street shortly after their first family dinner in London.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Many drivers just want to speed through it so that they don’t get stopped by the imminent red light.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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Navarrette drove his Ford F150 pickup through a red light and crashed into the side of a Hyundai Elantra.—
Sean Emery,
Oc Register,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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But the new wave of disavowals represents the latest sign that the conflict, which has killed thousands of Palestinians, has become polarizing within the mainstream of the party.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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Flowers — purple mums, white and yellow lilies, and pink roses — had been laid near the university sign.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wake-up call.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wake-up%20call. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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