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
-
Russian forces may soon be able to launch 1,000 to 2,000 drones per day, according to recent warnings issued by the Institute for the Study of War think tank and German Maj. Gen. Christian Freuding.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
1 Aug. 2025
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The warning is in effect until 7 p.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.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
1 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
This warning is in effect until Friday at 11 p.m. What is the significance of a red flag warning?—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
25 July 2025
-
So far, there has been one example of an AI model displaying a right-wing bias earning a government contract with no red flags raised about its outputs.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
24 July 2025
Noun
-
Derrick John Thompson was given consecutive sentences totaling nearly 59 years in prison Thursday for running a red light at more than 100 mph in south Minneapolis and crashing into a sedan, killing five young women.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
25 July 2025
-
Irvine police investigators determined that a Honda Civic turned right on a red light onto Culver Drive, forcing a Toyota Corolla already in the intersection to swerve.—
Sydney Barragan,
Oc Register,
4 July 2025
Noun
-
Downward revisions, especially of this magnitude, are a sign that the labor market is cooling.—
Bill Stone,
Forbes.com,
3 Aug. 2025
-
One hundred miles ago, oil wells stood as signs of civilization; they’re long gone.—
Michael Verdon,
Robb Report,
3 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wake-up call.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wake-up%20call. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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