wake-up calls

Definition of wake-up callsnext
plural of wake-up call
as in warnings
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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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wake-up calls
Noun
  • As Chicago begins laying the groundwork for its next budget — amid warnings of deficits and difficult choices — the same familiar debate is taking shape.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026
  • But new research by Caplan-Auerbach and many others, published today in Science, shows that subtle clues could help provide early warnings.
    Megan I. Gannon, Scientific American, 6 May 2026
Noun
  • Don’t ignore the red flags… but don’t jump to conclusions either.
    Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Other red flags are alterations, cross-outs or erasures.
    Mahsa Saeidi, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • He was accused of leading sheriff’s deputies on a speedy chase through a residential area of Oceanside, blowing past multiple red lights and knocking a deputy off a motorcycle.
    Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2026
  • And none of those three wins has been a simple lights-to-flag victory, given how sluggish his car is when the five red lights go out.
    Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 4 May 2026
Noun
  • But there are clear signs that Miller has not backed away from his own views on immigration—including on H-2B visas.
    Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 11 May 2026
  • And that’s evident in so many facets in museums on Route 66, in neon signs and galleries, on menus that have been there, operating for decades and decades.
    AFAR Media, AFAR Media, 11 May 2026
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Wake-up calls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wake-up%20calls. Accessed 13 May. 2026.

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