false alarm
noun
1
: an alarm (such as a fire or burglar alarm) that is set off needlessly
2
: something causing alarm or excitement that proves to be unfounded
Examples of false alarm in a Sentence
A false alarm drew firefighters to the school.
The report that the factory would be closing was a false alarm.
He thought he might be having a heart attack, but his chest pains were just a false alarm.
Recent Examples on the Web
But one recent sighting of a wolf-like animal trio in that area turned out to be a false alarm, after an investigation and a round of genetic tests revealed that the creatures are almost surely coyotes, the Nevada Department of Wildlife said.
—
Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 15 May 2024
Bevers suggests that older women talk with their doctors about the benefits of screening, as well as harms like false alarms and unnecessary biopsies.
—Carla K. Johnson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2024
The incident was chalked up to a false alarm, and last year, the festival proceeded without incident with performances from Missy Elliott and Mariah Carey, among others.
—Spin Staff, SPIN, 4 May 2024
In 2022, a false alarm gun scare at the festival led to crowd panic that left three attendees hospitalized with minor injuries.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 4 May 2024
According to the police log, the LAPD responded to 13 alarm calls at the building in the year prior to the heist, and all of them were determined to be false alarms.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2024
Jerome Greco, supervising attorney of the digital forensics unit at the Legal Aid Society, said gun detection systems can trigger false alarms and cause panic.
—Karen Matthews, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2024
Warnings lights might indicate a serious problem or a false alarm.
—David Koenig, Quartz, 22 Mar. 2024
Prosecutors charged her as a juvenile with telecommunication harassment and initiating a false alarm, both misdemeanors.
—Kevin Grasha, The Enquirer, 19 Mar. 2024
Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 15 May 2024
Bevers suggests that older women talk with their doctors about the benefits of screening, as well as harms like false alarms and unnecessary biopsies.
—Carla K. Johnson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2024
The incident was chalked up to a false alarm, and last year, the festival proceeded without incident with performances from Missy Elliott and Mariah Carey, among others.
—Spin Staff, SPIN, 4 May 2024
In 2022, a false alarm gun scare at the festival led to crowd panic that left three attendees hospitalized with minor injuries.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 4 May 2024
According to the police log, the LAPD responded to 13 alarm calls at the building in the year prior to the heist, and all of them were determined to be false alarms.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2024
Jerome Greco, supervising attorney of the digital forensics unit at the Legal Aid Society, said gun detection systems can trigger false alarms and cause panic.
—Karen Matthews, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2024
Warnings lights might indicate a serious problem or a false alarm.
—David Koenig, Quartz, 22 Mar. 2024
Prosecutors charged her as a juvenile with telecommunication harassment and initiating a false alarm, both misdemeanors.
—Kevin Grasha, The Enquirer, 19 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'false alarm.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“False alarm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/false%20alarm. Accessed 20 May. 2024.
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