variants
also alarums
as in warnings
the act or an instance of telling beforehand of danger or risk
in a daring midnight ride Paul Revere gave the alarm that British troops were approaching
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
variants
also alarums
1
as in scares
to strike with fear
I don't want to alarm you, but I think you should know there's a bear on your back porch
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in concerns
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
alarmed at the skyrocketing cost of home heating fuel
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of alarms
Dylan Butts, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026
There was nothing wrong with the airplane that would have caused alarms to go off.
—Jeff Wise, Vulture, 30 Mar. 2026
Similarly, instead of sounding the alarms in front of the cameras amidst nationwide ICE blowback, Lamont pressed the president directly and personally behind closed doors, securing a commitment that agents wouldn’t be sent where they weren’t requested.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Hartford Courant, 29 Mar. 2026
Firefighters struck three alarms for adequate resources for fighting the fire and for evacuations.
—Tim Fang, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
In Africa, aid agencies are raising alarms about rising costs that threaten food security in vulnerable nations heavily reliant on imports for food and fuel.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
Illinois is one of the states raising alarms, as my colleagues at the Better Government Association’s Illinois Answers Project and Capitol News Illinois explained in a recent examination of challenges Illinois faces from these fast-growing markets that operate outside the state’s control.
—David Greising, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
According to data from online shipping marketplace Freightos, the first week of the war saw many bookings suspended, which raised alarms that trade could become increasingly constrained in the weeks to come.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 23 Mar. 2026
No velvet ropes or motion-sensor alarms.
—Kari Barnett, Sun Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2026
Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 18 Mar. 2026
The development of Moltbook, with AI bots forming their own social media, alarms him.
—Joe Hagan, Vanity Fair, 18 Mar. 2026
When something goes wrong, alarms fire.
—Robert B. Shpiner, STAT, 13 Mar. 2026
Yet the price of gas seems likely to keep rising, which alarms Republicans.
—Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2026
The Corps has adamantly refused to conduct sediment testing for PFAS, which alarms local scientists and environmentalists like Burdette.
—Patrick Sisson, Scientific American, 9 Mar. 2026
But that's not really what alarms me, someone making money off of military advancements.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
But what alarms him most is the silence from the business community.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2025
While Cherry is more versed at keeping her rage simmering just below the surface, Laura struggles to hide her anguish and disgust, which alarms those closest to her.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
That uncertainty is beginning to show up in markets — particularly in oil — where industry participants are sounding serious alarms about the fallout of a prolonged conflict.
—Dylan Butts, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026
There was nothing wrong with the airplane that would have caused alarms to go off.
—Jeff Wise, Vulture, 30 Mar. 2026
Similarly, instead of sounding the alarms in front of the cameras amidst nationwide ICE blowback, Lamont pressed the president directly and personally behind closed doors, securing a commitment that agents wouldn’t be sent where they weren’t requested.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Hartford Courant, 29 Mar. 2026
Firefighters struck three alarms for adequate resources for fighting the fire and for evacuations.
—Tim Fang, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
In Africa, aid agencies are raising alarms about rising costs that threaten food security in vulnerable nations heavily reliant on imports for food and fuel.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
Illinois is one of the states raising alarms, as my colleagues at the Better Government Association’s Illinois Answers Project and Capitol News Illinois explained in a recent examination of challenges Illinois faces from these fast-growing markets that operate outside the state’s control.
—David Greising, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
According to data from online shipping marketplace Freightos, the first week of the war saw many bookings suspended, which raised alarms that trade could become increasingly constrained in the weeks to come.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 23 Mar. 2026
No velvet ropes or motion-sensor alarms.
—Kari Barnett, Sun Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2026
Verb
Whether that future excites or alarms fans, the law—not nostalgia or tradition—will determine who suits up in March.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 18 Mar. 2026
The development of Moltbook, with AI bots forming their own social media, alarms him.
—Joe Hagan, Vanity Fair, 18 Mar. 2026
When something goes wrong, alarms fire.
—Robert B. Shpiner, STAT, 13 Mar. 2026
Yet the price of gas seems likely to keep rising, which alarms Republicans.
—Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2026
The Corps has adamantly refused to conduct sediment testing for PFAS, which alarms local scientists and environmentalists like Burdette.
—Patrick Sisson, Scientific American, 9 Mar. 2026
But that's not really what alarms me, someone making money off of military advancements.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
But what alarms him most is the silence from the business community.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2025
While Cherry is more versed at keeping her rage simmering just below the surface, Laura struggles to hide her anguish and disgust, which alarms those closest to her.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 10 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alarms
Noun
-
However, their work now takes place as the Iran war creates serious supply constraints for essential fertilizer products — fueling massive price spikes and warnings of looming food insecurity.—
Chloe Taylor,Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Similar warnings had been issued in other Gulf cities over recent weeks, but this was the first time residents in Riyadh received them.—
Manal Albarakati,
semafor.com,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Geopolitical scares that faded and allowed oil prices to recede.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
3 Mar. 2026
-
He’s also been involved in multiple injury scares to star players in the last year.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But just the association concerns me.—
Eric Thomas,
Sun Sentinel,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Investigators are examining suspicions of bribery involving a foreign public official and complicity which concerns former French diplomat Fabrice Aidan.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Set up travel alerts, say on Google Flights, that will send notifications when the fare on the preferred itinerary drops.—
ANDREA SACHS THE WASHINGTON POST,
Arkansas Online,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The piercing sunlight frightens her.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Like the 1987 Kurt Vonnegut novel from which the restaurant took its name, Bluebeard encourages guests to drop their guard, surround themselves with other people and try something that frightens them a little.—
USA TODAY NETWORK,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Wade reportedly worries audiences may think her performances are imitating an idea Swift created due to the 14-time Grammy Award winning singer’s enormous popularity.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Much of what the farms sell is on contract with prices already set, which means those costs will have to be absorbed for now, said Parra, who worries many state crops could see lower sales as prices eventually rise in markets.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Frankly, the thought of being beaten by the subscribers terrifies me.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Aubry Bracco is the kind of player who terrifies a certain (male) demographic of Survivor alumni.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Removing nodules from the ocean floor disturbs the silty seabed that's home to many organisms, like worms and small crustaceans, the scientists found.—
Lauren Sommer,
NPR,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Dethatching disturbs the soil surface, which can trigger dormant weed seeds to sprout.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Alarms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alarms. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
