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alarm·ing | \ ə-ˈlär-miŋ 
\
\Definition of alarming
: causing people to feel danger or alarm or to be worried or frightened
alarming news The statistics revealed an alarming increase in childhood obesity.
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Synonyms for alarming
Synonyms
- dire,
- direful,
- dread,
- dreadful,
- fearful,
- fearsome,
- forbidding,
- formidable,
- frightening,
- frightful,
- ghastly,
- hair-raising,
- horrendous,
- horrible,
- horrifying,
- intimidating,
- redoubtable,
- scary,
- shocking,
- spine-chilling,
- terrible,
- terrifying
Examples of alarming in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web Florida's alarming increase in new cases broke another record on Friday after the state's health department confirmed 8,942 cases, nearly doubling the previous record of cases reported in a single day, two days earlier, and 39 new deaths.
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Fox News, "Coronavirus spike forces Miami to close beaches for July 4 weekend," 27 June 2020 The candidates did not believe Texas should be immediately shut down because of the alarming rise of COVID-19 cases.
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Dallas News, "MJ Hegar, Royce West clash on who’s best to challenge John Cornyn as early voting for runoff looms," 26 June 2020 The Bay Area numbers are equally alarming, averaging 439 new cases a day for the last eight days.
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Peter Fimrite, SFChronicle.com, "Coronavirus experts say California is entering a ‘second wave’," 25 June 2020 The county has seen an alarming increase in COVID-19 and other warning indicators, including patients sick enough with the deadly virus to be admitted to hospitals.
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Scott Huddleston, ExpressNews.com, "Bexar County giving 1 million masks to San Antonio area businesses to help contain COVID-19," 24 June 2020 Average June temperatures in Verkhoyansk reach a high of 68 degrees Fahrenheit, so the new record-high temperature is alarming.
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Scottie Andrew, CNN, "Temperatures in an Arctic Siberian town hit 100 degrees, a new high," 22 June 2020 Small businesses in my district have been closing at an alarming rate, the gentrification here has skyrocketed more than anywhere in the country, and people are working three jobs and still can’t afford their bills.
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Natalie Gontcharova, refinery29.com, "Brooklyn’s Paperboy Prince Is Running On Universal Basic Income & Spreading Love," 22 June 2020 The Indonesian government has started to ease its restrictions, planning for schools to reopen while the case count is still growing at an alarming rate.
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National Geographic, "Documenting the challenges—and joys—of fatherhood in an upended world," 19 June 2020 The announcement comes after days of mounting pressure for Ducey to take action in the wake of the state's alarming rise in cases.
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Anchorage Daily News, "Arizona governor says mayors allowed to require face masks," 18 June 2020
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'alarming.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Time Traveler for alarming
The first known use of alarming was in 1658
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