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

Select two or three existing clients facing frequent false alarms or high compliance overhead. — Robert Messer, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026

Residents at the time took to social media to voice their concerns about the false alarms. — Marie Saavedra, CBS News, 15 Sep. 2026

Notices went up a few times after that — again, false alarms. — Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026

In Broward, voters at Piper High School in Sunrise faced a brief lockdown after a false alarm about a student with a gun, according to the Sunrise Police Department. — David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 18 Aug. 2026

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