Oxford Dictionary English

    wake-up call

    noun
    noun
    BrE BrE//ˈweɪk ʌp kɔːl//
    ; NAmE NAmE//ˈweɪk ʌp kɔːl//
    Staying in a hotel
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  1. 1a telephone call that you arrange to be made to you at a particular time, for example in a hotel, in order to wake you up I asked for a wake-up call at 6.30 a.m. See related entries: Staying in a hotel
  2. 2an event that makes people realize that there is a problem that they need to do something about These riots should be a wake-up call for the government.
See wake-up call in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
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