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

However, the tip proved to be a false alarm after authorities located the man thought to be Decker. —Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2025

In 2020, the tsunami warning sirens that were turned on in the Southern California city of Huntington Beach turned out to be a false alarm. —Edward Segal, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025

Many factors go into whether a tsunami will devastate communities or become mostly a false alarm. —Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 30 July 2025

In 2019, warnings that the lander might soon crash to Earth turned out to be false alarms. —Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1578, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for false alarm

• arm
• charm
• farm
• harm
• disarm
• forearm
• gendarme
• nonfarm
• rearm
• firearm
• underarm