as in red lights
something that tells of approaching danger or risk
the résumé she accidentally left on the office printer was a red flag that she was planning to quit
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Recent Examples of red flags
According to sources, the firm found no red flags, but that review was narrow in its scope.
—
Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
Kurt's key takeaway Scammers are no longer relying only on clumsy emails or obvious red flags.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 9 Mar. 2026
Flying the morning of an important presentation may not raise any obvious red flags, but that tight scheduling leaves no margin for unexpected obstacles, like weather events or mechanical issues.
—Abby Price, Travel + Leisure, 7 Mar. 2026
Other red flags include unsolicited offers, pressuring homeowners to pay in cash or to write checks to individuals, along with a lack of a contractor's license or other credentials.
—Tim Fang, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026
In some instances, the records show, Epstein’s payments to his victims’ accounts in banks in Russia raised red flags in compliance departments of Western banks.
—Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
Poor puck luck explained some of it at five-on-five, but there were some red flags below the surface at both ends of the ice.
—Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Ironically, one of the clearest red flags is volume.
—Jessica Pellien, Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2026
The Kings threw themselves behind Hiller at multiple turns despite the presence of red flags and availability of emergency exits.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 1 Mar. 2026
Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
Kurt's key takeaway Scammers are no longer relying only on clumsy emails or obvious red flags.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 9 Mar. 2026
Flying the morning of an important presentation may not raise any obvious red flags, but that tight scheduling leaves no margin for unexpected obstacles, like weather events or mechanical issues.
—Abby Price, Travel + Leisure, 7 Mar. 2026
Other red flags include unsolicited offers, pressuring homeowners to pay in cash or to write checks to individuals, along with a lack of a contractor's license or other credentials.
—Tim Fang, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026
In some instances, the records show, Epstein’s payments to his victims’ accounts in banks in Russia raised red flags in compliance departments of Western banks.
—Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
Poor puck luck explained some of it at five-on-five, but there were some red flags below the surface at both ends of the ice.
—Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Ironically, one of the clearest red flags is volume.
—Jessica Pellien, Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2026
The Kings threw themselves behind Hiller at multiple turns despite the presence of red flags and availability of emergency exits.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 1 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for red flags
Noun
-
Drivers running red lights caused 750 crashes between 2019 and 2023, with 7 of those crashes being deadly, data from the City of Pittsburgh's Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI) shows in a release about the program sent out by Verra Mobility.—
Chilekasi Adele,
CBS News,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Prosecutors said Clarke-Samuel had been drinking alcohol at a bar in central London, and drove his BMW erratically at around 70 mph (112 kilometers per hour) before the crash, running six red lights and driving on the wrong side of the road.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Governments get involved Despite official warnings published by China's state media about OpenClaw's security risks, several local governments have proposed incentives in the past week to encourage companies to develop applications using the AI tool.—
Evelyn Cheng,Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Tornado warnings were issued across the Illinois area as a large tornado continued to sweep through Illinois and into Indiana, along with large hail and the risk of flash flooding.—
Madeline King,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Based on the appointment of the late supreme leader’s son as successor, there are no clear signs of an imminent regime change in Iran.—
Amena Bakr,
semafor.com,
9 Mar. 2026
-
For months now, real-estate developer Michael Shvo has been insisting that everything is just fine, despite troubling signs at his portfolio of trophy properties.—
Kim Velsey,
Curbed,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Red flags.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/red%20flags. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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