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wake-up call

noun [C]
 
 
/ˈweɪk.ʌpˌkɔːl/

Definition

If something that happens is a wake-up call, it should make you realize that you need to take action to change a situation: The poor turnout for the election will hopefully be a wake-up call to the government.Threats and warnings a phone call that you arrange to be made, for example in a hotel, to wake you up at a certain timeCommunicating by telephone
(Definition of wake-up call noun from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

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