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

"It's a wake-up call for the whole of civilisation", to "be rational when we use these tools".

From Barron's • May 25, 2026

"That feeling of being last is horrible, and I think it was like a wake-up call."

From BBC • May 21, 2026

But I’d encourage you to use this discovery as motivation — a wake-up call that jolts you into action.

From MarketWatch • May 20, 2026

“After the recent tariffs on U.S. imports, the conflict represents another wake-up call to deploy new tools to make supply chains more resilient and develop new strategies to mitigate future disruptions,” the company said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 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