wake-up call

noun [C]

Definition

TELEPHONE › a telephone call to wake you in the morning, especially when you are staying in a hotel

EVENT › something bad that happens and shows you that you need to take action to change a situation

(Definition of wake-up call noun from the Cambridge Learner's Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

to get rid of something or someone that is not wanted or needed

Read our blog about how the English language behaves.

Find words and meanings that have just started to be used in English, and let us know what you think of them.