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
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, 4 Mar. 2026
Thames ran through stop signs and multiple red lights before crashing into a light pole and coming to a stop, the video said.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2026
Approximately 1,149 people were killed and more than 107,000 were injured in crashes from vehicles running red lights in 2022, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
—Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado, Sacbee.com, 25 Feb. 2026
Sitting at red lights with nobody behind the wheel, just vibing.
—Kim Komando, FOXNews.com, 21 Feb. 2026
Cold plunges and red lights may feel empowering, but there is little evidence that today’s biohacking tools meaningfully extend the maximum human lifespan.
—Jordan D. Metzl, The Atlantic, 19 Feb. 2026
With the incessant storms that year, bush pilots said red lights would be easier to see than the current blue ones.
—Scott Haugen, Outdoor Life, 4 Feb. 2026
The system enforces a state law requiring other vehicles to come to a complete stop when a school bus is stopped with its stop-arm extended and red lights flashing.
—Karoline Leonard, Austin American Statesman, 23 Jan. 2026
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, 4 Mar. 2026
Thames ran through stop signs and multiple red lights before crashing into a light pole and coming to a stop, the video said.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2026
Approximately 1,149 people were killed and more than 107,000 were injured in crashes from vehicles running red lights in 2022, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
—Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado, Sacbee.com, 25 Feb. 2026
Sitting at red lights with nobody behind the wheel, just vibing.
—Kim Komando, FOXNews.com, 21 Feb. 2026
Cold plunges and red lights may feel empowering, but there is little evidence that today’s biohacking tools meaningfully extend the maximum human lifespan.
—Jordan D. Metzl, The Atlantic, 19 Feb. 2026
With the incessant storms that year, bush pilots said red lights would be easier to see than the current blue ones.
—Scott Haugen, Outdoor Life, 4 Feb. 2026
The system enforces a state law requiring other vehicles to come to a complete stop when a school bus is stopped with its stop-arm extended and red lights flashing.
—Karoline Leonard, Austin American Statesman, 23 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for red lights
Noun
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Deliberate cruelty to animals is one of the clearest red flags.—
Steven Yablonski,
CBS News,
3 Mar. 2026
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Ironically, one of the clearest red flags is volume.—
Jessica Pellien,
Literary Hub,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Bart Jansen Responding to criticism about Americans stranded in the Middle East, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the government issued numerous warnings about traveling in the region since January.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
5 Mar. 2026
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Also Wednesday, the Israeli military issued several warnings to people to evacuate buildings in Beirut's southern suburbs, which were struck shortly afterward.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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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
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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 lights.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/red%20lights. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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