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 3 a.m. Actions to take when lightning threat is imminent Around 25 million lightning strikes occur in the United States every year, with most taking place during the summer months.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
8 July 2025
-
Beijing’s trade war with Washington has dominated attention, and Chinese officials previously downplayed the myriad long-term risks to growth, making the latest warnings notable.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
8 July 2025
Noun
-
If a company demands a large payment upfront, that’s a red flag.—
Angie Hicks,
Boston Herald,
12 July 2025
-
Skeptics raise red flags Bitcoin's sharp rally has drawn caution from some corners of the market.—
Niket Nishant,
USA Today,
12 July 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
-
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
-
Isaacman is a friend of Elon Musk, and the move was seen as the first sign of the rift between Trump and Musk that widened as the two men publicly feuded over a sweeping tax and spending package central to Trump’s second term agenda.—
Chantelle Lee,
Time,
10 July 2025
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Schneider highlighted that early signs of AI use cases — such as driving corporate headcount reductions and greater sales — have emerged and created a path towards reinvestment into future growth.—
Pia Singh,
CNBC,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wake-up call.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wake-up%20call. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
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