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
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Recent Examples of wake-up call
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
Most important, the Fed and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) got a wake-up call that their oversight of middle-size banks has been dangerously lax.
—Doyle McManus, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for wake-up call
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
Most important, the Fed and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) got a wake-up call that their oversight of middle-size banks has been dangerously lax.
—Doyle McManus, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for wake-up call
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wake-up call
Noun
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Military bases across California have tightened security since the conflict began, requiring more stringent visitor identification, checks at gates and warning of traffic delays.—
Hannah Fry,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
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Such is the warning from transparency advocates over Assembly Bill 1034, which passed the lower chamber last month by a 95-1 vote.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Kurt's key takeaway Scammers are no longer relying only on clumsy emails or obvious red flags.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
9 Mar. 2026
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Changes in eating patterns are another red flag.—
Staff Author,
Parents,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Nothing gives me a goosebump more than watching the red light come on before the ball goes in.—
Chris Branch,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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Anyone captured running a red light during that time will receive a warning notice in the mail but will not be fined.—
Nina Burns,
CBS News,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The president's endorsement didn't clear the GOP crowded field to replace Greene — some observers cast that as a sign of weakness — but Fuller easily overcame other Republican contenders.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
11 Mar. 2026
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The Iran war intensified as Washington and Tehran focused their attention on the Strait of Hormuz and showed little sign of easing their aerial campaigns.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wake-up call.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wake-up%20call. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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