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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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 was released on Monday at 1:51 p.m., and the latest update about this incident was released on Monday at 1:53 p.m.—
Kansas City Star Bot,
Kansas City Star,
15 Apr. 2025
-
Strong winds are occurring but are not so strong as to warrant a High wind warning.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Another easy indicator or red flag to watch for is whether the message was part of a group text or sent to other people.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
-
The dramatic scenes came after Friday’s practice session had seen four red flags, two of which were due to trackside fires, apparently caused by sparks from the cars’ skid blocks landing on the dry grass.—
Jamie Barton,
CNN Money,
5 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
State police said the driver later allegedly blew through a red light at the intersection of Kelly Road and Route 83 before continuing north on Route 83, the warrant affidavits said.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
27 Mar. 2025
-
Bosworth reveals that she's been obsessed with red light therapy and has gotten her husband into the trend.—
Michelle Lee,
People.com,
24 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
In 2023 researchers led by Nikku Madhusudhan, an astrophysicist at the University of Cambridge, announced the first signs of dimethyl sulfide in K2-18 b’s atmosphere.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
17 Apr. 2025
-
And by monitoring her behavior for any signs of complications.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wake-up call.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wake-up%20call. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share