red alert
Americannoun
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(in military or civilian defense) the most urgent form of alert, signaling that an enemy attack is believed to be imminent.
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the signal or alarm sounded for this alert.
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a signal or warning that a critical situation is developing or has occurred.
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the period during which a state of crisis or danger is declared to exist.
Etymology
Origin of red alert
First recorded in 1960–65
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.
A monitoring program that could quickly communicate this would be able to issue a red alert, signaling an event in progress.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2026
Hospitals in five Colombian cities were put on red alert Monday and a nighttime curfew was declared in Cali, according to local authorities.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
Italy is putting nearly all of its major cities on the highest "red" alert for high temperatures, as a new heatwave grips the country.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
Health officials say 19 cities from north to south - including the capital Rome, Milan, Venice and Naples - are already at red alert, and by Monday all but two cities will be.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
"The Bionic Unit is on red alert," he says.
From "Freak The Mighty" by Rodman Philbrick
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
