wake-up

1 of 2

adjective

: serving to wake up
a wake-up alarm

wake up

2 of 2

verb

woke up also waked up; woken up also waked up; waking up; wakes up

transitive + intransitive

a
: to cease sleeping : to become awake
I woke up late this morning.
When I woke up on Monday the sky was the color of mercury, and the air was heavy with moisture.Ann M. Martin
b
: to rouse (a person or animal) from or as if from sleep
The sound of a door slamming woke him up.
c
: to become aware or to make (someone) aware of something (such as an existing problem or danger)
They finally woke up and realized what was happening.
usually used with to
a study that woke people up to the importance of regular exercise
In 1997, … Jacob Nielsen predicted that if newspapers didn't wake up to the threat of online classified advertising and dominate the field by 1998, many of them would die within a decade.Emily Benedek
d
: to make (something) active : arouse, stir
"And what joy and cheerfulness it wakes up within us, to see all nature beaming in brightness and sunshine …" added Alice …Charles Dickens

Examples of wake-up in a Sentence

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.
Adjective
The Commanders making the NFC Championship Game and the Eagles dominating in the Super Bowl should be the loudest wake-up calls to the Cowboys that their ways need to change. Jon MacHota, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025 That early career disappointment was a wake-up call. Dria James, refinery29.com, 12 Feb. 2025
Verb
Viewing Nolte’s photos is like waking up in an alternate reality: a sea turned to desert. Alex Cuadros, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2025 Troopers were able to wake up the driver and identify him as 66-year-old Michael Tobin of Vernon. Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 10 Feb. 2025 See all Example Sentences for wake-up 

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1946, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1767, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wake-up was in 1767

Dictionary Entries Near wake-up

Cite this Entry

“Wake-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wake-up. Accessed 18 Feb. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!