Synonyms

wake-up call

British

noun

a telephone call that wakes a person from sleep
an event that alerts people to a danger or difficulty

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

wake-up call Idioms

A portentous event, report, or situation that brings an issue to immediate attention. For example, The rise in unemployment has given a wake-up call to state governments, or The success of the online subscription is a wake-up call to publishers. This metaphoric term originated in the second half of the 1900s for a telephone call arranged in advance to awaken a sleeper, especially in a hotel. Its figurative use dates from about 1990.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He said the winter should be a "wake-up call" to create more natural flood defences and wildlife-friendly escape routes - higher ground, connected green spaces and undisturbed vegetation can give animals places to retreat during storms.

From BBC

But Jackson’s October 1984 episode was above all a political act — “this last shot at America’s mind,” he calls it in a monologue that’s part victory lap, part wake-up call.

From Salon

That was a wake-up call for Canada and Sam Reinhart brought them within a goal with just under six minutes remaining in the second period, tipping in Cale Makar's shot on a power play.

From Barron's

It's a good wake-up call and a realisation of what this game demands.

From BBC

"Geopolitical turmoil in the wake of the crisis in Greenland has been a wake-up call," Jorgensen told reporters.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023