as in watch
the state of being constantly attentive and responsive to signs of opportunity, activity, or danger
the paparazzi were on red alert for sightings of the hot new Hollywood couple
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of red alert
On Saturday, the South and Grand’Anse regions of Haiti were both upgraded to red alerts by the National Disaster Risk Management System.
—
David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2025
The art community is on red alert.
—Lionel Laurent, Twin Cities, 24 Oct. 2025
The Sooners’ struggles of the past three years were a red alert that something had to change both on and off the field if this blue blood was going to stay one.
—Chris Vannini, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
France issued a red alert on July 1 and warned of potentially severe health impacts as temperatures across the country climbed to between 100 and 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the country’s meteorological service.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for red alert
David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2025
The art community is on red alert.
—Lionel Laurent, Twin Cities, 24 Oct. 2025
The Sooners’ struggles of the past three years were a red alert that something had to change both on and off the field if this blue blood was going to stay one.
—Chris Vannini, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
France issued a red alert on July 1 and warned of potentially severe health impacts as temperatures across the country climbed to between 100 and 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the country’s meteorological service.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for red alert
Recent Examples of Synonyms for red alert
Noun
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Winter storm watches have already been issued across all of southern New England from Sunday morning through Monday evening.—
Terry Eliasen,
CBS News,
23 Jan. 2026
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About 160 million people were under winter storm or cold weather watches or warnings -- and in many places both.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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This patience is watchfulness, not idleness.—
Francois Botha,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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These tools include quiet hours, feature controls, and alerts tied to signs of acute distress.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Jan. 2026
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Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust’s portfolio.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Another idea is that the rhythm causes brief fluctuations in alertness, allowing sleeping animals to periodically check their surroundings and reduce the risk of being eaten.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Jan. 2026
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And wit is basically the alertness of the writer—being aware of where the reader might be, and then responding to that.—
Adrienne LaFrance,
The Atlantic,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Such vigilance has mostly been absent from the current Congress.—
Jake Lundberg,
The Atlantic,
7 Jan. 2026
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Meanwhile money vigilance means being cautious and concerned about your financial well-being.—
Veronica Bravo,
USA Today,
5 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Red alert.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/red%20alert. Accessed 25 Jan. 2026.
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