wake-up call

British  

noun

1. a telephone call that wakes a person from sleep

2. an event that alerts people to a danger or difficulty

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wake-up call Idioms  

1. 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.

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Example Sentences

Watching him lose his mind so early was a wake-up call.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026

Gaby Pacheco, president of TheDream.US, an organisation that provides scholarships to undocumented immigrants, told the BBC that the case should serve as a "wake-up call."

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

It’s a wake-up call to the art world that the Louvre incident might have spawned a wave of copycat thefts.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

Smith said the 69-62 loss to Sierra Canyon was a wake-up call for the Knights.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 14, 2026

The following morning, Fig slept past his early-morning wake-up call again.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas