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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The company’s defense that the EPA doesn’t require a cancer-warning label for Roundup doesn’t cut it with them.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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Amid chaotic scenes of masked immigration agents roaming neighborhood streets as protesters blew warning whistles, the operation led to two shootings by agents, including the fatal shooting in Franklin Park of Silverio Villegas Gonzalez in September.—
Rick Pearson,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Nuremberg rallies were simply political stage plays, with music from Wagner, drums, symmetrical marching formations, red flags, and gatherings often held in darkness to heighten the mood.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
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The survey found 95% of Oregon’s voting-age population registered, which raised red flags in a state where every voter is mailed a ballot.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Other factors, including scars, bruising, ligature marks and signs of malnutrition, supported evidence of long-term abuse, the warrant affidavit said.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
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Many of the victims of Saturday's attack were reportedly from a village near the town of Cajibío, where a vigil was held Monday, with hundreds of people dressing in white as a sign of peace.—
Frank Andrews,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wake-up call.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wake-up%20call. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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