heads-up

1 of 3

noun

: a message that alerts or prepares : warning
gave him a heads-up that an investigation was pending

heads-up

2 of 3

adjective

: showing or requiring keen awareness and swift action
heads-up football
a heads-up player
Alex Rodriguez's heads-up play helped give Seattle the upper hand in a 3-2 victory Saturday against Baltimore.Chuck Johnson

heads up

3 of 3

interjection

used as a warning to look out for danger especially overhead or to clear a passageway

Examples of heads-up in a Sentence

Noun thanks for the heads-up about the upcoming visit from the corporate big shots
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Also, a heads-up to your readers: Sidewalks are for pedestrians, so please don’t park your vehicles, lawn mowers, lawn equipment, home maintenance/repair equipment, etc. on them. Jeanne Phillips, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024 If the current consumer lending trends are a sign of things to come, and if your business trends with them, let this be your heads-up to prepare. Dennis Dufour, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
With Spalding still trailing by two with one minute left, Lamothe helped make the difference with a heads-up play. Glenn Graham, Baltimore Sun, 3 Mar. 2023 The heads-up play allowed quarterback Max Duggan an extra second to make the pass to Quentin Johnston, who scored a 76-yard touchdown. Dallas News, 2 Mar. 2023 See all Example Sentences for heads-up 

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1977, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1913, in the meaning defined above

Interjection

1916, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of heads-up was in 1913

Dictionary Entries Near heads-up

Cite this Entry

“Heads-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heads-up. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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