WAKE-UP CALL Synonyms: 28 Similar and Opposite Words

wake-up call

noun

Definition of wake-up call

as in warning

something that tells of approaching danger or risk his high blood pressure was a wake-up call that he needed to do something about his health

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 wake-up call The rising autism numbers presented by our CDC should be a wake-up call — there are a lot of us, and what’s truly increasing is the cost of ignoring our needs. — John Elder Robison, STAT, 23 Mar. 2023 The persistence of that finding should be a wake-up call for employers already battling high turnover and labor shortages. — Wire Services, Dallas News, 22 Mar. 2023 Those efforts show the pandemic has been a wake-up call, Horowitz said. — Rachel Scott, ABC News, 22 Mar. 2023 Texas is on an entirely different level than those teams and had a bit of a wake-up call against Penn State. — Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic, 20 Mar. 2023 See All Example Sentences for wake-up call

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wake-up call

Noun

Residents and visitors have been urged to closely monitor the weather and the watches or warnings as Lowell approaches the islands, the hurricane center said.

— Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2026
The officer lets her off with a warning, and then everyone goes to bed.

— Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of warning

Noun

The wobbliness of consumer spending coupled with a steady decline in the rate of personal savings held by the average American has raised red flags for entertainment sector economists.

— Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
Looking back, the VanDoeselaars said, there were several red flags.

— Emily Elconin for CNN, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of red flag

Browse Nearby Words

wake (up)

wake-up call

wake-up calls

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Wake-up call.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wake-up%20call. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of wake-up call

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

churlish

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18

Popular

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes