as in red light
something that tells of approaching danger or risk
the résumé she accidentally left on the office printer was a red flag that she was planning to quit
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Recent Examples of red flag
There were some issues with Rivers’ transactions that raised red flags, Menard said.
—
Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
Predictably, other longevity bros have pounced on one of their own—but there’s a particularly righteous rage among health care professionals, who say that there have been red flags about Attia’s trustworthiness all along.
—Sarah Digregorio, Vanity Fair, 5 Feb. 2026
That mission becomes increasingly problematic with the addition of a healthy Jackson, because immediately shutting him down Trae Young-style likely will raise giant neon red flags with the league office.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Legal experts have already raised red flags over the business deal, which is shrouded in secrecy.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for red flag
Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
Predictably, other longevity bros have pounced on one of their own—but there’s a particularly righteous rage among health care professionals, who say that there have been red flags about Attia’s trustworthiness all along.
—Sarah Digregorio, Vanity Fair, 5 Feb. 2026
That mission becomes increasingly problematic with the addition of a healthy Jackson, because immediately shutting him down Trae Young-style likely will raise giant neon red flags with the league office.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Legal experts have already raised red flags over the business deal, which is shrouded in secrecy.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for red flag
Recent Examples of Synonyms for red flag
Noun
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The witnesses said both vehicles stopped at a red light when Nixon pulled up alongside them and began yelling.—
Marissa Armas,
CBS News,
7 Feb. 2026
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Travon Troupe, 39, of Hayward, allegedly drove drunk through a red light at Foothill Boulevard and 68th Avenue in Oakland, smashing into a big rig that had the right of way.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Sixteen members of the media account for 80 percent of the MVP vote and submit their ballots near the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter.—
Alex Valdes,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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Two inmates facing serious violent crime charges escaped from the Sumter County Jail late Sunday, prompting an urgent manhunt and warnings from law enforcement across southwest Georgia.—
CBS News Atlanta Digital Team,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The fasten-seatbelt sign was on and the flight attendants were performing final cabin checks when the plane suddenly dropped, then violently pitched back up.—
Aaron Cooper,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
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Tom pulled up a Wikipedia page on his laptop called WikiProject AI Cleanup, and another on how to spot signs of AI writing.—
Imogen West-Knights,
The Dial,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Red flag.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/red%20flag. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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