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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wake-up calls
Noun
-
My mom has canceled appointments after receiving such warnings.—
Laura Yuen,
Mercury News,
28 Jan. 2026 -
The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, claims Edison failed to follow its own safety protocols despite advance warnings of extremely dangerous red flag conditions in an area known to be at high threat of wildfires.—
Melody Petersen,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
And when red flags are ignored, fraud thrives.—
Jennifer Nassour,
Boston Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
-
That … definitely raised some red flags in my mind.—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The system enforces a state law requiring other vehicles to come to a complete stop when a school bus is stopped with its stop-arm extended and red lights flashing.—
Karoline Leonard,
Austin American Statesman,
23 Jan. 2026
-
The suspect ran through red lights and swerved across several lanes on Balboa Boulevard in Encino while driving at around 80 mph before merging onto the northbound 101 Freeway.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The girls seemed to be having a great time during these performances, interacting with fans by reacting to their costumes and signs, and creating a Candybong wave.—
Laura Sirikul,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Many marchers also referenced the killing of Renee Nicole Good, with signs honoring both victims and calling for accountability.—
Eva Andersen,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 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.
Cite this Entry
“Wake-up calls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wake-up%20calls. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
