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 WebJeffrey Marks, Rolling Stone, 24 Apr. 2024
Moscow’s aggression became a wake-up call for Ukraine’s military and ushered in major reforms.
—Nataliya Gumenyuk, Foreign Affairs, 19 Apr. 2024
The past six months have been a wake-up call, Seligson says.
—David Oliver, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
Recently, advocates say, this wake-up has been happening on a broader scale.
—Stephanie Hanes, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Apr. 2024
Experts say the law, along with a trade-in program for sketchy uncertified bikes, is a national wake-up call that’s driving dubious players from the market.
—IEEE Spectrum, 14 Apr. 2024
For some Israelis, largely among the Israeli Arab minority, Oct. 7 was a wake-up call that peace and regional progress won’t come without the Palestinians.
—Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Apr. 2024
The scene wasn’t anyone’s idea of a soothing wake-up ritual.
—Peter C. Baker, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2024
Union sends wake-up call to woke Dems thinking of attending cop's funeral …Read more
COP KILLING: Suspect in NYPD murder came close to gunning down his partner: docs …Read more
Subscribe now to get Fox News Politics newsletter in your inbox.
—Fox News Staff, Fox News, 28 Mar. 2024
Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 6 May 2024
Encampments at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee quiet Friday morning Student protestors are just waking up at UWM.
—Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 3 May 2024
But now, Sardelli would be waking up the next day — Saturday, May 4 — without his yearly text from Eyer.
—Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 3 May 2024
After waking up disoriented in his car, Chimney was confronted by a carjacker who sped off with his vehicle and threw his phone into the street.
—Breanne L. Heldman, Peoplemag, 3 May 2024
In 2022, several people in town woke up to antisemitic fliers on their front lawns that blamed Jewish officials in the Biden administration for the COVID-19 pandemic.
—Tyrone Beason, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024
Danny Boyle is once again directing, after helming 2002’s 28 Days Later, which centered on a man (Cillian Murphy) who wakes up in the hospital to find the United Kingdom overtaken by a zombie plague.
—Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Apr. 2024
Garner starred in the film as a 13-year-old girl who wakes up as an adult woman, while Ruffalo played her love interest and Greer played her friend Lucy.
—USA TODAY, 24 Apr. 2024
The chef Shota Nakajima goes to bed early and wakes up early.
—Eric Kim, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2024
Adjective
The Big Bear Earthquake was literally a wake-up call.
—Jeffrey Marks, Rolling Stone, 24 Apr. 2024
Moscow’s aggression became a wake-up call for Ukraine’s military and ushered in major reforms.
—Nataliya Gumenyuk, Foreign Affairs, 19 Apr. 2024
The past six months have been a wake-up call, Seligson says.
—David Oliver, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
Recently, advocates say, this wake-up has been happening on a broader scale.
—Stephanie Hanes, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Apr. 2024
Experts say the law, along with a trade-in program for sketchy uncertified bikes, is a national wake-up call that’s driving dubious players from the market.
—IEEE Spectrum, 14 Apr. 2024
For some Israelis, largely among the Israeli Arab minority, Oct. 7 was a wake-up call that peace and regional progress won’t come without the Palestinians.
—Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Apr. 2024
The scene wasn’t anyone’s idea of a soothing wake-up ritual.
—Peter C. Baker, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2024
Union sends wake-up call to woke Dems thinking of attending cop's funeral …Read more
COP KILLING: Suspect in NYPD murder came close to gunning down his partner: docs …Read more
Subscribe now to get Fox News Politics newsletter in your inbox.
—Fox News Staff, Fox News, 28 Mar. 2024
Verb
Gone are the days of waking up with achy feet after racking up miles while sightseeing because the lightweight foam insoles of these shoes offer essential cushioning that provides all-day support.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 6 May 2024
Encampments at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee quiet Friday morning Student protestors are just waking up at UWM.
—Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 3 May 2024
But now, Sardelli would be waking up the next day — Saturday, May 4 — without his yearly text from Eyer.
—Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 3 May 2024
After waking up disoriented in his car, Chimney was confronted by a carjacker who sped off with his vehicle and threw his phone into the street.
—Breanne L. Heldman, Peoplemag, 3 May 2024
In 2022, several people in town woke up to antisemitic fliers on their front lawns that blamed Jewish officials in the Biden administration for the COVID-19 pandemic.
—Tyrone Beason, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024
Danny Boyle is once again directing, after helming 2002’s 28 Days Later, which centered on a man (Cillian Murphy) who wakes up in the hospital to find the United Kingdom overtaken by a zombie plague.
—Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Apr. 2024
Garner starred in the film as a 13-year-old girl who wakes up as an adult woman, while Ruffalo played her love interest and Greer played her friend Lucy.
—USA TODAY, 24 Apr. 2024
The chef Shota Nakajima goes to bed early and wakes up early.
—Eric Kim, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wake-up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near wake-up
Cite this Entry
“Wake-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wake-up. Accessed 10 May. 2024.
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