red alert

noun

Definition of red alertnext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of red alert Italy’s Health Ministry placed all 27 cities monitored under its national heat surveillance system on red alert Thursday — the first time this year the entire network has been under the highest warning level simultaneously. — ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026 Sunday’s stage through the Massif Central was won by Mathieu van der Poel, out-sprinting a small breakaway group, having been shortened by 30km due to a ‘red alert’ heatwave in the region. — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 13 July 2026 The center on Saturday also issued the first red alert for rainstorms of the year, according to state broadcaster CCTV. — Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026 Three-quarters of France, encompassing tens of millions of people, was put under a red alert for extreme heat on Thursday and Friday as the mercury topped 40 C (104 F) in some locations, including in Paris. — Kirsten Grieshaber, Fortune, 27 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for red alert
Recent Examples of Synonyms for red alert
  1. watch
  2. watchfulness
  3. alert
  4. alertness
  5. vigilance
Noun
  • On October 12, 2025, armed and masked thieves broke into the museum and made off with cash from the register and at least one watch.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Ben Cook, a New York creator who posts about watches on TikTok, uses his Meta smart glasses to listen to music on runs and take hands-free calls.
    — Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of watch
Noun
  • But the book’s ruminative watchfulness is unsuccessfully conjugated in this overly sedate play with music, which has the feel of a song cycle, though sung by the fine cast with gorgeous, lonely sorrow.
    — Brian Seibert, New Yorker, 19 June 2026
  • Hong Kong icon Tony Leung has channeled brooding urban energy for the masterpieces of Wong Kar-Wai, balancing the debonair ennui of Marcello Mastroianni with the quiet watchfulness of Montgomery Clift.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 8 May 2026
Definition of watchfulness
Noun
  • Some residents went out of their way to witness the spectacle after getting social media alerts about a man who was trapped on a billboard.
    — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The school district’s police department also has a therapy dog program, a reporting tool for families called the FortifyFL app and crisis alert badges for every school district staff member.
    — Abigail Hasebroock, Sun Sentinel, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of alert
Noun
  • As evening arrives, the body releases melatonin to signal rest while cortisol, the alertness hormone, drops.
    — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The replacement of old, negative patterns of thinking with pure thoughts from God, Love, requires alertness.
    — Linda Berckmann, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of alertness
Noun
  • Kim was credited as an essential member of George Washington’s Reactor Department for his unwavering vigilance.
    — Magda Liszewska, Oc Register, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Therefore, borrowers should exercise constant vigilance and carefully review their statements.
    — Adam S. Minsky, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of vigilance

Browse Nearby Words

redacts
red alert
red-blooded
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Cite this Entry

“Red alert.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/red%20alert. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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