red lights

noun

plural of red light
as in red flags
something that tells of approaching danger or risk the reporter took her glower as a red light and stopped asking questions

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of red lights Driving fatigue is very real, thanks to so many Mad Maxes riding bumpers or blowing through red lights or completely ignoring the speed limit. — Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026 After a warning period, drivers caught running red lights by the cameras will receive citations starting October 11. — Finch Walker, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2026 Between 2019 and 2023, drivers running red lights caused 750 crashes, seven of which were deadly, according to the city of Pittsburgh's Department of Mobility and Infrastructure. — Mike Darnay, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026 Police said Bessent, who had no license, drove more than 118 mph, blowing through red lights before crashing into a Chevrolet Cruz. — Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 7 Aug. 2026 While that level isn’t full of color, the yellow and red lights of the spotlight buoys stand out, bright and saturated. — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 6 Aug. 2026 But social media videos of red lights emanating from the cameras, largely automatic license plate readers distributed across the city, raised concerns among some that footage was still being captured. — Sierra Lopez, Mercury News, 30 July 2026 Mounted atop the temporary wall were two sets of traffic lights, a pair of side-by-side green lights (currently off) and a set of red lights, now blinking. — Robert Pearlman, ArsTechnica, 1 July 2026 Two hours later, Eric was standing in the 200 level in front of a Canes backdrop with red lights above his head. — Michael Russo, New York Times, 3 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for red lights
  1. red flags
  2. warnings
  3. signs
Noun
  • And didn’t Hal’s hunch help expose an alien that not only looked exactly like a human male, but also passed an X-ray without sending up any red flags?
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 16 Aug. 2026
  • But there is no indication in state paperwork that the problems found at Heights Crematory or other red flags triggered aggressive regular inspections of the Morgans’ businesses, or their ongoing operating practices.
    — Gregory Royal Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of red flags
Noun
  • South African President Cyril Ramaphosa clashed with the head of state energy company Eskom over the speed of opening the national power grid to private operators, pitting the government’s flagship energy reform against warnings of bondholder shock.
    — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • In January 2025, the Commissioners Court approved a policy along party lines giving sheriff’s deputies the ability to issue trespass warnings to anyone in violation of the decorum policy.
    — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of warnings
Noun
  • Preliminary findings have not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances, police said, according to WHNS.
    — Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
  • For days, Nidhi observed her for signs of secret despair but could detect none.
    — Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of signs

Browse Nearby Words

red light
red lights
red meat
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Red lights.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/red%20lights. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of oxymoron

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All