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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Recent Examples of red alert
Losing Jackson for any more games would certainly put the franchise on a red alert situation, as Cooper Rush did not spark much confidence in his starts with Jackson out.
—
James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for red alert
James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for red alert
Recent Examples of Synonyms for red alert
Noun
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This watch is suitable for light swimming.—
Andrew P. Collins,
The Drive,
12 Mar. 2026
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This is the 43rd annual release of Midleton Very Rare, and the sixth to come out under the watch of master distiller Kevin O’Gorman.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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A lot of this involves watchfulness—noticing what the preferring mind (that is, the editing mind) as put in place, and accepting it, and building upon it.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
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This patience is watchfulness, not idleness.—
Francois Botha,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Chandra doesn’t have those capabilities, but AXIS was designed to respond quickly to alerts, improving our ability to conduct both time-domain astronomy as well as multi-messenger astronomy.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
11 Mar. 2026
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The agency also suggests placing a free one-year fraud alert on one's credit report with the three big credit reporting agencies — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — and reporting the identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission.—
Greg Iacurci,Kate Dore, CFP®, EA,
CNBC,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Key Takeaways Mixing caffeine with alcohol may increase alertness, but your blood alcohol level and impairment stay the same.—
Karen Berger,
Verywell Health,
9 Mar. 2026
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Chuck Reger, franchise business coach at Five Star Painting, says bright red is highly stimulating and naturally increases alertness.—
Natasha Bazika,
Martha Stewart,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Residents' routines are shaped by caution and vigilance, and QueenEr'Re's death revived longstanding questions about safety and the city's efforts to address violence.—
Cameron Knight,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
8 Mar. 2026
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The sprawling nature of Maryland’s budget, which exceeds $65 billion, and its notorious high-profile cases of political corruption also add an element of vigilance and caution to the definition.—
Torrey Snow,
Baltimore Sun,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Red alert.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/red%20alert. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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