Region: General | Usage example: Missing the merger deadline was a wake-up call for the team.

Wake-up call

Meaning

An alert that prompts action or change.

Used when a crisis spurs reflection.

Origin notes can vary by region and source; this page gives the commonly reported explanation and usage context.

Hotels and trains used alarm calls; metaphor applied to sudden warnings.

Grew popular in mid-20th-century business and healthcare contexts.