Meaning & use

SOS

noun·Everyday

An international distress signal, or more generally, an urgent request for help.

See it in a sentence

The sinking ship's crew radioed an SOS before abandoning the vessel.

After the flood cut off the village, the mayor sent out an SOS for supplies.

A note on using this word

SOS is not an acronym for specific words; it was chosen in Morse code (three dots, three dashes, three dots) because it is easy to transmit and recognize.

Words with a similar meaning

distress callcry for help

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Make it your own

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