heads-up

1 of 3

noun

: a message that alerts or prepares : warning
gave him a heads-up that an investigation was pending

heads-up

2 of 3

adjective

: showing or requiring keen awareness and swift action
heads-up football
a heads-up player
Alex Rodriguez's heads-up play helped give Seattle the upper hand in a 3-2 victory Saturday against Baltimore.Chuck Johnson

heads up

3 of 3

interjection

used as a warning to look out for danger especially overhead or to clear a passageway

Examples of heads-up in a Sentence

Noun thanks for the heads-up about the upcoming visit from the corporate big shots
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.
Noun
Another protection identified by the Utah law is that users are to be given a heads-up by the AI maker about what their AI is capable of, along with what their AI is not capable of. Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025 But Russia has had plenty of heads-up about what sanctions might be coming, and significant support from allies to evade them. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Just a heads-up - Midjourney's AI can now do hands correctly. Benj Edwards, Ars Technica, 16 Mar. 2023 Or [expect that employees will] give me a heads-up. Luther Ray Abel, National Review, 8 Mar. 2023 See All Example Sentences for heads-up

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1977, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1913, in the meaning defined above

Interjection

1916, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of heads-up was in 1913

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Heads-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heads-up. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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