Wake-up call

/wˈeɪkˌʌp kˈɔːl/

Wake-up call

a phone call that is made at a particular time to wake someone up, at their request, for example in a hotel

a warning to take action concerning something that was overlooked or neglected

Examples

1. 2:36 in the morning, 4:30 wake-up call, mission accomplished.

2. Their typical wake-up call is 0400, or 4 a.m.

3. So that was a great wake-up call.

4. It was a brutal wake-up call for me.