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
Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 23 Mar. 2026
Another section of the framework that has raised alarms is onewhich addresses preventing censorship and protecting free speech.
—Lorena O’Neil, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2026
No velvet ropes or motion-sensor alarms.
—Kari Barnett, Sun Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2026
Environmental advocates not affiliated with the MAHA movement sounded similar alarms.
—Sarah Todd, STAT, 20 Mar. 2026
The absence of any visible cameras or alarms.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 20 Mar. 2026
Today, it’s being rapidly deployed across industries, and that pace has sounded the alarms for workforce researchers.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026
What spectators didn’t see was that the previous day, March 13, another problem, never publicly disclosed, had set off alarms of a different kind.
—Adam Ciralsky, Vanity Fair, 19 Mar. 2026
A number of leading medical groups raised alarms that the vaccine recommendation changes made under Kennedy would undermine protections against a half-dozen diseases.
—Dallas Morning News, 16 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
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
Another section of the framework that has raised alarms is onewhich addresses preventing censorship and protecting free speech.
—Lorena O’Neil, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2026
No velvet ropes or motion-sensor alarms.
—Kari Barnett, Sun Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2026
Environmental advocates not affiliated with the MAHA movement sounded similar alarms.
—Sarah Todd, STAT, 20 Mar. 2026
The absence of any visible cameras or alarms.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 20 Mar. 2026
Today, it’s being rapidly deployed across industries, and that pace has sounded the alarms for workforce researchers.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026
What spectators didn’t see was that the previous day, March 13, another problem, never publicly disclosed, had set off alarms of a different kind.
—Adam Ciralsky, Vanity Fair, 19 Mar. 2026
A number of leading medical groups raised alarms that the vaccine recommendation changes made under Kennedy would undermine protections against a half-dozen diseases.
—Dallas Morning News, 16 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
-
Travel chaos and safety alerts issued Following the incident, the Federal Aviation Administration imposed a full ground stop at LaGuardia, preventing all aircraft from taking off or landing.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Evacuation notices Hawaii have lifted after catastrophic flooding prompted evacuation alerts in parts of the state, but flood watches remain in place for most of March 22.—
Kate Perez,
USA Today,
22 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
-
The new rendering confirms worries that the satellites will be longer than current V2 Starlink models.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Allowing closed trials in criminal cases worries some observers, especially after Macao police last year detained former pro-democracy lawmaker Au Kam San on suspicion of colluding with outside forces in breach of the territory's national security law.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 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 28 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
