as in red flags
something that tells of approaching danger or risk
the reporter took her glower as a red light and stopped asking questions
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Recent Examples of red lights
According to state police, the vehicle was seen going through multiple red lights and passing other motorists.
—
Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 29 May 2026
The horizon is scattered with tall wind turbines, crowned with blinking red lights visible from miles away in the nighttime sky.
—Hannah Elsmore, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 May 2026
Being able to relax and really enjoy the massage seat made all those red lights ahead of me not seem so sinister.
—Scotty Reiss, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026
Amid onlookers, the two were filmed confronting each other after the cyclist accused Cumberbatch of breaking the rules of the road by running red lights.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 11 May 2026
He was accused of leading sheriff’s deputies on a speedy chase through a residential area of Oceanside, blowing past multiple red lights and knocking a deputy off a motorcycle.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2026
And none of those three wins has been a simple lights-to-flag victory, given how sluggish his car is when the five red lights go out.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 4 May 2026
As police surrounded him, blue and red lights flashing, Williams could come up with only one possible reason for an arrest.
—Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026
At the time, a system of red lights on the runway that act as a warning for crossing traffic were still lit up.
—ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 29 May 2026
The horizon is scattered with tall wind turbines, crowned with blinking red lights visible from miles away in the nighttime sky.
—Hannah Elsmore, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 May 2026
Being able to relax and really enjoy the massage seat made all those red lights ahead of me not seem so sinister.
—Scotty Reiss, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026
Amid onlookers, the two were filmed confronting each other after the cyclist accused Cumberbatch of breaking the rules of the road by running red lights.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 11 May 2026
He was accused of leading sheriff’s deputies on a speedy chase through a residential area of Oceanside, blowing past multiple red lights and knocking a deputy off a motorcycle.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2026
And none of those three wins has been a simple lights-to-flag victory, given how sluggish his car is when the five red lights go out.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 4 May 2026
As police surrounded him, blue and red lights flashing, Williams could come up with only one possible reason for an arrest.
—Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026
At the time, a system of red lights on the runway that act as a warning for crossing traffic were still lit up.
—ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for red lights
Noun
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The case against The case against McKenna is built on how high those aforementioned red flags are raised within the Leafs organization.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
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Despite Quantinuum's technical prowess and Honeywell's support, its financial health raises red flags for investors.—
Peter Cohan,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Noun
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Meanwhile, there's new research on the efficacy of these bans and fresh warnings about excessive screen time for children.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
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Although there have been similar warnings from individual countries in the past, the joint bulletin was described as unprecedented.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
But there are signs of real life going on too, which is always a good thing.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
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Using a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer, for example, the spectral biosignatures of carbon dioxide and methane may overlap, leading to the gasses being confused with each other and signs of life being dismissed or lost.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Red lights.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/red%20lights. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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