wake-up

1 of 2

adjective

: serving to wake up
a wake-up alarm

wake up

2 of 2

verb

woke up also waked up; woken up also waked up; waking up; wakes up

transitive + intransitive

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
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 to
a 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
d
: to make (something) active : arouse, stir
"And what joy and cheerfulness it wakes up within us, to see all nature beaming in brightness and sunshine …" added Alice …Charles Dickens

Examples of wake-up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Similarly, exposure to sunlight in the morning stops melatonin production and bumps up the wake-up hormone cortisol. Adria Greenhauff, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Mar. 2024 Day 6 – March 3, 2024 7 AM: The day unfolds with an early wake-up to some breakfast and coffee in bed. Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 6 Mar. 2024 And the murder of George Floyd was really a wake-up call to redouble those efforts. USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024 Such prose is undeniably attention-grabbing, a wake-up call in literary form. Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 28 Feb. 2024 At the time, it could have been considered a wake-up call, but as the season has unravelled itself, so have Manchester United. Liam Canning, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 However, the interconnectedness of global economies and the escalating impact of climate change have created a wake-up call for business leaders around the world. Vince Poon, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 Haley’s losses are a wake-up call Any attrition among Haley donors likely has more to do with her double-digit losses in early states than with Trump’s threat, said David McIntosh, president of Club for Growth, who is in regular touch with major GOP donors. Rachel Looker, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2024 My son’s catch-and-release treasure hunt was a wake-up call for me—the youth have no love for the coin of the realm. Wes Moss, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024
Verb
Furthermore, frequent energy drink consumers reported more sleep disturbances, such as waking up throughout the night, than those who didn’t drink as much. Kaitlin Vogel, Health, 7 Mar. 2024 How do Muslims observe Ramadan? Muslims will wake up, before sunrise, to eat a meal called suhoor. The Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2024 During torpor, grizzly bears can wake up and move around, contrary to popular belief that bears sleep during their entire hibernation, according to the organization. Makiya Seminera, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2024 Rivas agreed to play on his practice kit when woken up in order to test his movement as Prabhu removed the tumor. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 5 Mar. 2024 In Olympic Valley, Janine Shaw, a remote technology worker for eBay in San Jose, woke up with her husband and three kids Saturday morning to snowy roads in their neighborhood. Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2024 This can be irritating and damaging, causing the bat to wake up earlier than it should during hibernation. Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 1 Mar. 2024 The video then switched to darkness as Jenner went to wake up her son in his bedroom. Kirsty Hatcher, Peoplemag, 1 Mar. 2024 But that’s starting to change as the world wakes up to the gravity of the climate crisis. Nina Seega, Forbes, 1 Mar. 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.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1946, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1767, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wake-up was in 1767

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 19 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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