How to Use wake-up in a Sentence

wake-up

1 of 2 adjective
  • The 2003 heat wave was a wake-up call, researchers said.
    — Rachel Ramirez, CNN, 10 July 2023
  • The wake-up call applies to both sides, Schreibel said.
    — David Sivak, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 15 July 2024
  • At the same time, take this as a cold splash of water and a wake-up call.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
  • The past six months have been a wake-up call, Seligson says.
    — David Oliver, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
  • In the end, a 2:00 am wake-up call was required to record the final hours.
    — Adam Trenkamp, Outside Online, 10 Oct. 2024
  • Hell, there's even an alarm clock mode (talk about a wake-up call).
    — Malia Griggs, Glamour, 24 Feb. 2025
  • Opening night was a wake-up call for a Knicks team still in flux.
    — Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 7 Feb. 2025
  • Keep in Mind: The soft wake-up sounds may not be enough for heavy sleepers.
    — Deanne Revel, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Mar. 2023
  • The 2022 plunge was a wake-up call, but lower rates might lure the heavy hitters back.
    — Tomer Warschauer Nuni, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
  • For Khamenei—and many in his inner circle—the protests served as a wake-up call.
    — Vali Nasr, Foreign Affairs, 29 July 2024
  • But there’s no better wake-up call than a close friend with the courage to hold up the mirror.
    — Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 23 Feb. 2025
  • But the fact that it was even considered should serve as a wake-up call.
    — Haley Busch, Orlando Sentinel, 28 Feb. 2025
  • My son’s catch-and-release treasure hunt was a wake-up call for me—the youth have no love for the coin of the realm.
    — Wes Moss, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024
  • On sale for a mere $16, add the Lip Sleeping Mask to your cart for buttery, smooth lips on the wake-up.
    — Nerisha Penrose, ELLE, 12 July 2023
  • This wake-up call has put more pressure on the mascara world.
    — Celeste Polanco, Essence, 1 May 2025
  • For many on the east coast of North America, the orange skies of June were a wake-up call.
    — Omar Mouallem, WIRED, 23 Aug. 2023
  • But the jokes Marley’s friends tell at her bedside are a wake-up call for Link.
    — Laura Bradley, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2025
  • Maybe this is the wake-up call the Eagles needed before the playoffs.
    — The Athletic Nfl Staff, The Athletic, 26 Dec. 2024
  • The journey has been pretty chill and easy, despite a 4 a.m. wake-up.
    — Jessica Ritz, Travel + Leisure, 28 Apr. 2023
  • Jokic agreed with Malone and said the team needed a wake-up call.
    — Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 26 Nov. 2024
  • Will the significance of the Met poaching Sharon be a wake-up call for L.A.?
    — Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2024
  • But what is happening with their bonds should be a wake-up call.
    — Telis Demos, WSJ, 9 Aug. 2023
  • Staff are making wake-up calls so that students get out of bed on time.
    — Lauren Lumpkin, Washington Post, 20 Dec. 2023
  • The Trump threat is also a wake-up call for Ishiba’s party.
    — William Pesek, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
  • The death of Olympian Tori Bowie should be yet another wake-up call that this is a crisis.
    — Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 26 June 2023
  • Here's a fresh twist on a couple of classic brunch favorites and a wake-up call for your taste buds.
    — Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Sep. 2023
  • The loss, which brought Golden State to 17-18 at Chase Center this year, also served as a bit of a wake-up call.
    — Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2024
  • There have been many wake-up calls lately for the industry.
    — Evan Halper, Washington Post, 25 Aug. 2023
  • In this more benign scenario, the Moody’s downgrade becomes a wake-up call - not a trigger for collapse.
    — Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
  • Looking back, the whole experience was a really big wake-up call for me.
    — Amy Marturana Winderl, SELF, 7 May 2025

wake up

2 of 2 verb
  • The kick from the jalapeños should help your taste buds wake up with a hot kick.
    — Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Nov. 2023
  • Those who wake up from that lie and try to grow, and those who don’t.
    — Josh Wigler, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Oct. 2023
  • So how about one more time loud enough to wake up Joe Biden.
    — Rebecca Morin, USA TODAY, 18 July 2024
  • Many of his victims woke up to find him in their homes.
    — Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 May 2024
  • She was even said to wake up with hand prints all over her face and body.
    — Natalia Senanayake, People.com, 18 Oct. 2024
  • Greeks on some days are waking up to news of dozens of new fires.
    — Elinda Labropoulou, Washington Post, 2 Sep. 2023
  • Hood’s back now at the prison gates, watching McAlester wake up.
    — Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 29 Mar. 2025
  • Try to stick to a schedule to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day.
    — Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 16 Dec. 2024
  • By the time the women woke up in their room, their cell phones were gone, as were two EpiPens.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2024
  • But when the days get longer and the grass starts to green, something inside us wakes up.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Rhine still wakes up with a start in the middle of the night, said his wife, Jennifer Rhine.
    — Madeleine O'Neill, Baltimore Sun, 20 June 2024
  • In the morning, wake up to a caviar and Champagne breakfast in bed.
    — Devorah Lev-Tov, Robb Report, 13 Feb. 2024
  • Nothing takes the zen out of a good night’s sleep like waking up drenched in sweat.
    — Toni Sutton, Peoplemag, 13 Aug. 2024
  • Then one day, the bacteria wakes up and makes the person sick.
    — Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 1 May 2025
  • And start waking up at 5:45 to make your child’s breakfast and pack lunch.
    — Danielle Jennings, People.com, 4 Nov. 2024
  • The icing on top is waking up to the double view of the Mediterranean Sea and the Riviera.
    — Martie Bowser, Essence, 16 May 2024
  • Like a clock, at 3 a.m., Darwin will wake up, complain and come to my bed.
    — Paige Darrah, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2023
  • Just slap one on before bed to wake up to clearer skin.
    — Emily Orofino, Vogue, 21 Nov. 2024
  • My younger son woke up at 3 a.m. with a touch of restlessness.
    — Ken Makin, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Mar. 2024
  • Five hours later, the man woke up and noticed white smoke, the report said.
    — Ahjané Forbes, USA TODAY, 10 Aug. 2024
  • On the other hand, if the Cubs don’t wake up soon, Hoyer could be the one looking at a fire sale.
    — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2024
  • The two argued, the cellmate said, and when Williams woke up in the morning, Yarborough was dead.
    — Gina Barton, USA Today, 2 May 2025
  • But that’s starting to change as the world wakes up to the gravity of the climate crisis.
    — Nina Seega, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
  • Half of the guest rooms face the ocean, so some guests will have the advantage of waking up to crashing waves.
    — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Aug. 2024
  • This forces the person using it to wake up, which is all part of Lottie's plan.
    — Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025
  • The woman woke up, pushed away Ansari's hand and got up and told a flight attendant.
    — Phil Helsel, NBC News, 6 Oct. 2023
  • People in Louisville woke up to rain that could extend until the evening.
    — Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 13 Sep. 2024
  • Keep your sleep schedule the same daily: Go to bed and wake up around the same time, even on weekends.
    — Sayaka Blickenderfer, Health, 16 Mar. 2024
  • Also designed to isolate motion, you won’t be woken up by your partner tossing and turning at night.
    — Christopher Murray May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 16 May 2025
  • Acacia woke up every morning with all its subcontractors, and all day long, worked on this as a full-time matter with their subcontractors.
    — Armando Garcia, ABC News, 16 May 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wake-up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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