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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Local officials echoed state of emergency declarations and issued travel bans while the tens of millions of people under blizzard warnings hunkered down.—
Danya Gainor,
CNN Money,
24 Feb. 2026
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The State Department later, relaxed its warning for certain areas.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Here’s a look at some of the economic indicators that appear strong, those that are seemingly stable, and the ones that are raising red flags.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
24 Feb. 2026
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Another red flag was something Donner and her team noticed about the driver's seat — something that suggested someone else had driven Sade's car.—
Lauren A. White,
CBS News,
22 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Sitting at red lights with nobody behind the wheel, just vibing.—
Kim Komando,
FOXNews.com,
21 Feb. 2026
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The driver of the vehicle that ran the red light was cooperating with police after the incident, officials said.—
Nick Lentz,
CBS News,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The decor is simple, especially in the bathroom, but there are a few signs of shipbuilder Fincantieri’s stylish Italian roots.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Feb. 2026
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And there was certainly no sign any of the gubernatorial candidates plan to give up, bowing to concerns their large number could divide the Democratic vote and allow a pair of Republicans to slip through and emerge from California’s top-two primary.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wake-up call.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wake-up%20call. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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