panic button

noun

: something setting off a precipitous emergency response
There was no pushing of panic buttons at the White House, no rushing of troops.J. C. Harsch

Examples of panic button in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Fire and smoke listener alerts and bedside panic buttons add another layer of protection, especially overnight. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 4 Feb. 2026 The program approved by board members earlier this month would expand on that by giving every teacher in the district a panic button device, Shelton said. Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 30 Jan. 2026 Heupel also pushed the panic button a bit on defense by firing defensive coordinator Tim Banks and bringing in Jim Knowles. Seth Emerson, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2026 The eight-piece system includes a base station, a keypad for arming and disarming your system, a motion detector, a panic button, and four entry sensors that can be placed on doors and windows. PC Magazine, 1 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for panic button

Word History

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of panic button was in 1900

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Cite this Entry

“Panic button.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/panic%20button. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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