as in red lights
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 flags
This is one of the biggest red flags.
—
Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2026
Rates below 10 to 12 percent raise immediate red flags about list decay or inflated subscriber numbers.
—Lien De Pau, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
An Associated Press investigation into Rocha found several red flags overlooked along the way, including a warning that one longtime CIA operative received nearly two decades ago that Rocha was working as a double agent.
—Joshua Goodman, Arkansas Online, 10 May 2026
Last June, Russian banks raised red flags on a potential debt crisis as high interest rates weighed on borrowers’ ability to pay off loans.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 9 May 2026
So what exactly raises those red flags?
—Andreina Rodriguez, CNBC, 8 May 2026
Don’t ignore the red flags… but don’t jump to conclusions either.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 28 Apr. 2026
Other red flags are alterations, cross-outs or erasures.
—Mahsa Saeidi, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026
But Don always saw the red flags.
—Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 28 Apr. 2026
Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2026
Rates below 10 to 12 percent raise immediate red flags about list decay or inflated subscriber numbers.
—Lien De Pau, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
An Associated Press investigation into Rocha found several red flags overlooked along the way, including a warning that one longtime CIA operative received nearly two decades ago that Rocha was working as a double agent.
—Joshua Goodman, Arkansas Online, 10 May 2026
Last June, Russian banks raised red flags on a potential debt crisis as high interest rates weighed on borrowers’ ability to pay off loans.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 9 May 2026
So what exactly raises those red flags?
—Andreina Rodriguez, CNBC, 8 May 2026
Don’t ignore the red flags… but don’t jump to conclusions either.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 28 Apr. 2026
Other red flags are alterations, cross-outs or erasures.
—Mahsa Saeidi, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026
But Don always saw the red flags.
—Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 28 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for red flags
Noun
-
Being able to relax and really enjoy the massage seat made all those red lights ahead of me not seem so sinister.—
Scotty Reiss,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
-
Amid onlookers, the two were filmed confronting each other after the cyclist accused Cumberbatch of breaking the rules of the road by running red lights.—
Jack Smart,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
According to prosecutors, the Cuban military did not issue warnings before firing air-to-air missiles at the planes.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
20 May 2026
-
The Verona Fire As firefighters were responding to the Bain Fire, another wildfire ignited nearby in Riverside County, prompting more evacuation orders and warnings, according to Cal Fire.—
Bill Hutchinson,
ABC News,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
The bones turned out to belong to an elderly male dingo, with worn teeth and possible signs of arthritis.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
18 May 2026
-
None of these reactions are character flaws—just signs that the burden of confidentiality might be starting to affect your leadership bandwidth.—
ByMike McIsaac CPA,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Red flags.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/red%20flags. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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