the symbol or banner of a left-wing revolutionary party.
a danger signal.
something that provokes an angry or hostile reaction.
The talk about raising taxes was a red flag to many voters.
Also called powder flag. Nautical. a red burgee, designating in the International Code of Signals the letter “B,” flown by itself to show that a vessel is carrying, loading, or discharging explosives or highly inflammable material.
(initial capital letters) a war game the U.S. Air Force holds several times each year at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, to train personnel in air combat.
to mark or draw attention to for a particular purpose.
The department has red-flagged the most urgent repair work to be done.
to provoke the attention of; alert; arouse.
The animal's refusal to eat red-flagged the keeper that something was wrong.
of or relating to a red flag.
intended or serving to emphasize, warn, incite, or provoke.
a symbol of socialism, communism, or revolution
a warning of danger or a signal to stop
First recorded in 1770–80
First recorded in 1880–85
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Celebrities giving financial advice is a red flag for John Nowicki.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 15, 2026
Is this a red flag after a decade of marriage?
From MarketWatch • Jun. 11, 2026
He’s waving a red flag about the very real chance that SpaceX, Anthropic, and OpenAI will create an “impending chokepoint.”
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
And Sergio Perez took 10th for what could be the first point for the new Cadillac team, although he faces an investigation for being incorrectly positioned on the restart after the red flag.
From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026
Far off, through the display of lights flashing before his eyes, Mark thought he could see Bruce and his red flag leading his own charge.
From "The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin)" by James Dashner
Definitions 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.
