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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Example Sentences
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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
-
The warning is in effect until 12:45 a.m. What to do as threat of lightning approaches?—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
26 June 2025
-
The warning was issued at 11:41 p.m. on Wednesday, and the last update concerning this incident was provided on Wednesday at 11:46 p.m.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
26 June 2025
Noun
-
Fortunately, there are ways to recognize red flags that indicate suspicious job descriptions.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
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Watch for common red flags: Be cautious of sudden friend requests from unfamiliar accounts, vague messages that mention surprise winnings, poor grammar or any pressure to act quickly.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
26 June 2025
Noun
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However, a Chinese diplomat ran a red light in central Prague while trying to maintain surveillance of the Taiwanese delegation.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 June 2025
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Detectives also found Lumpkin had run a red light just before the fatal crash four blocks away and nearly struck two cars.—
Isabel Rivera,
Miami Herald,
26 June 2025
Noun
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Choose salmon that looks moist as this is a sign of freshness.—
Stacey Lastoe,
Southern Living,
28 June 2025
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Dobson, who signed a max-term deal with a $9.5 million cap hit as part of a sign-and-trade to the Canadiens, has proven himself an explosive right-shot defenseman, especially on the power play.—
Rob Rossi,
New York Times,
28 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wake-up call.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wake-up%20call. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.
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