wake-up call

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

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.
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wake-up call
Noun
  • The hearing committee suggested to the guild executives that this should only be a warning.
    David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Jamaica’s airports remain open for now, but will likely close within 24 hours of a hurricane warning being issued for the country, according to Daryl Vaz, Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport.
    Briana Waxman, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The absence of either can and should feel like a big red flag to drinkers.
    Oset Babür-Winter, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 Oct. 2025
  • Airbnb’s cofounder and CEO Brian Chesky is one the most outspoken leaders in the business world waving the red flag on loneliness.
    Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • For example, orange lights mark the warm-up segment to activate body’s core, red lights are used for the toning and strength sections, while blue ones define the more relaxing cool-down and stretching bits.
    Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2025
  • The vehicle headed toward 291 Highway, running through a red light.
    Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Stephens said there were signs of a struggle, and Thomas' body had been dragged about 180 feet into the woods.
    Bill Bowden, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Perri told him that was a sign of his brain rewiring.
    Rustin Dodd, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Wake-up call.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wake-up%20call. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.

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