wake-upcall

wake-up call (wākʹŭp') n.

1. A telephone call that one requests to occur at a specific time in order to be woken up, especially in a hotel.

2. A sign or warning that alerts one to negative or dangerous behavior or circumstances: “Her personal life was spiraling out of control... and her brush with death came as a wake-up call” (Geraldine Fabrikant).

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