heads up
interjection
(used to call attention to an impending danger or the need for immediate alertness.)
Showing results for heads up.
Search instead for
Heads+Up.
heads up
1 Americaninterjection
heads-up
2
American
[hedz-uhp]
/ ˈhɛdzˌʌp /
adjective
noun
-
heads-ups
plural
heads up
British
noun
heads up
Idioms
Usage
What does heads-up mean? As an exclamation, Heads up! is used to call attention to danger or another important matter. As a basic noun, a heads-up is an advance notice or warning.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of heads up1
First recorded in 1940–45
Origin of heads-up2
First recorded in 1945–50
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.
See Examples For:
The expert medical panel that Anderson heads up with Sachin Malde, a London-based consultant urological surgeon, is planning to deliver its official definition of chronic UTI in 2027.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
Jason Heyward didn’t give Freddie Freeman the heads up that he’d secured a job in the Dodgers’ front office.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
Colin Jarvis, who heads up OpenAI’s internal FDE program, said FDEs can join an organization for anywhere from a few months to a few years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Inflation watchers in the private sector said the BEA move was justified, but they faulted the agency for not giving the public a heads up, even for such a nerdy statistical thing.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
We stuck our heads up a little so we could see what was going on.
From "145th Street: Short Stories" by Walter Dean Myers
The dot plot was originally designed to give a heads-up to the public about the Fed’s intentions in order to avoid bouts of instability in the economy.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he didn’t get a heads-up from the members, telling reporters, “You’ll have to talk to Katherine”—as in Rep. Katherine Clark, the whip.
From Slate ● Sep. 5, 2026
Shortstop JuJu Monroe-Truitt made two heads-up plays with forceouts by throwing the ball to third baseman Sebastian Valadez to help out Soto.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 23, 2026
A heads-up, though: Analysts have also steadily slashed their forecasts as the company’s financial situation has deteriorated.
From Barron's ● Mar. 13, 2026
I guess he wanted to give your mom a heads-up first or something?
From "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda" by Becky Albertalli
Unambiguous heads-ups from forecasters from the NWS to state and local transportation officials in Northern Virginia began on the morning of Jan. 2, nearly 24 hours before the storm hit.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 14, 2022
He was exceptionally close with Engel, who gave Zuberi early heads-ups on legislation he intended to file and shared other details that could be useful to Zuberi, the emails show.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 30, 2020
I’ve given subtle heads-ups to my male co-workers for things like unzipped zippers but don’t want to be seen as policing a woman’s appearance.
From Slate ● May 17, 2018
It was the first time Scioscia had a position player throw in the bullpen, though he added, “We’ve given heads-ups to guys before.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2015
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
