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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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
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Ultimately, Sweden was granted an exemption from the ban in exchange for stricter warning labels.—
Carrie Battan,
The New Yorker,
10 Mar. 2025
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The warning was issued at 7 a.m. on Friday, and the latest update about this incident was released on Monday at 6:08 a.m.—
Kansas City Star Bot,
Kansas City Star,
10 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The severe weather outbreak is all part of a major cross-country storm system that is also prompting fire danger and red flag warnings across the Plains.—
Melissa Griffin,
ABC News,
15 Mar. 2025
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Under Florida’s red flag law, enacted after the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooting in Broward, law enforcement can seize a person’s weapon with a risk protection order if it’s deemed a person will endanger himself or others.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
14 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Netflix’s first season of Temptation Island was filled with cheating men, frustrated women, and lots of flashing red lights as folks repeatedly hooked up in an outdoor tent.—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
13 Mar. 2025
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In 2005, Killa Cam was sitting in a blue Lamborghini Gallardo at a red light while sporting $200,000 in jewelry when someone approached the vehicle and attempted to rob him.—
Armon Sadler,
VIBE.com,
10 Mar. 2025
Noun
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When the discussion plunges as deep as Gary Mabbutt and Swap Shop, that’s a sure sign that the game is not as enticing as normal.—
Amy Lawrence,
The Athletic,
13 Mar. 2025
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This follows a year of concerning signs from the region, including intense wildfires and thawing permafrost pumping out planet-heating pollution.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN,
12 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wake-up call.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wake-up%20call. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.
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