false alarm
noun
Definition of false alarm
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
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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.
First Known Use of false alarm
1578
FALSE ALARM Defined for English Language Learners
false alarm
noun
Definition of false alarm for English Language Learners
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: an alarm (such as a fire alarm) that is set off when it is not needed
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: something that causes people to wrongly believe that something bad or dangerous is going to happen
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