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
As companies increasingly hire AI chatbots to supposedly aid nurses with paperwork and help address a worker shortage, nursing unions say that these programs are instead generating false alarms and dangerous advice.
—
Maria Gracia Santillana Linares, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
Launched from a rooftop dock when a 911 call is received, a drone can reach the scene in minutes and stream live video and thermal data, allowing dispatch teams to cancel false alarms or tailor resources.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Its intelligent Human Detection system minimizes false alarms by recognizing human movement.
—Shubham Yewale, PCMAG, 14 Jan. 2025
The problem with faulty alerts and unclear information, Galperin said, is many people who get false alarms silence those notices, or ignore the next one.
—Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for false alarm
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Maria Gracia Santillana Linares, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
Launched from a rooftop dock when a 911 call is received, a drone can reach the scene in minutes and stream live video and thermal data, allowing dispatch teams to cancel false alarms or tailor resources.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Its intelligent Human Detection system minimizes false alarms by recognizing human movement.
—Shubham Yewale, PCMAG, 14 Jan. 2025
The problem with faulty alerts and unclear information, Galperin said, is many people who get false alarms silence those notices, or ignore the next one.
—Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2025
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 2 Jul. 2025.
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