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
  • Mysterious folders have appeared on PCs along with dire warnings.
    Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
  • Strong winds are occurring but are not so strong as to warrant a High wind warning.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 15 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • But like some of his other requests for gun rule change, lawmakers are unlikely to take away the red flag tool this year or next.
    Romy Ellenbogen, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2025
  • More than 6 million people in multiple states across the Southwest and South Plains are under red flag warnings Thursday as strong winds and warm temperatures are forecast to increase wildfire threats.
    Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 17 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Fortunately, that did not take too long, and Tyrion soon started physical therapy and red light therapy.
    Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2025
  • Members can opt for hyperbaric chambers as well as red light therapy and cryotherapy.
    Tanya Benedicto Klich, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • In 2023 researchers led by Nikku Madhusudhan, an astrophysicist at the University of Cambridge, announced the first signs of dimethyl sulfide in K2-18 b’s atmosphere.
    Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 17 Apr. 2025
  • And by monitoring her behavior for any signs of complications.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 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 29 Apr. 2025.

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