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
Authorities later determined that incident involved a false alarm, but officers were actively investigating at the time.
—
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Mar. 2026
And even supporters of the systems say searchers can become dulled by a multitude of false alarms and miss the few actual weapons.
—CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
Carlsbad charges $108 for the second false alarm call, $215 for the third and $422 for four or more calls, while Vista charges $100 for the third call, $200 for the fourth, and $500 for five or more, the staff report states.
—Barbara Henry, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
Aghayeva’s life may go back to normal, and, in some sense, this ten-hour saga may turn out to have been a false alarm.
—Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for false alarm
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Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Mar. 2026
And even supporters of the systems say searchers can become dulled by a multitude of false alarms and miss the few actual weapons.
—CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
Carlsbad charges $108 for the second false alarm call, $215 for the third and $422 for four or more calls, while Vista charges $100 for the third call, $200 for the fourth, and $500 for five or more, the staff report states.
—Barbara Henry, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
Aghayeva’s life may go back to normal, and, in some sense, this ten-hour saga may turn out to have been a false alarm.
—Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for false alarm
Cite this Entry
“False alarm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/false%20alarm. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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