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

---

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.

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

wake-up call

Experts warn that the heatwave which gripped the UK this week is not a "one-off" and should act as a "wake-up call" for the country to prepare for a Mediterranean climate.

From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026

"It is a wake-up call for the ANC."

From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026

Still its successes were a wake-up call for Kyiv that interdiction needed to become a priority, several sources told me.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026

State regulators have launched an investigation into the incident, and some local officials have called it a wake-up call for communities like Boyle Heights, where homes are sandwiched close to industry and manufacturing districts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026

It was a wake-up call for all of us: As refugees in America, we were at the bottom of the heap.

From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana