ALARMS Synonyms: 153 Similar and Opposite Words

alarms 1 of 2

noun

variants also alarums

plural of alarm

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

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alarms

2 of 2

verb

variants also alarums

present tense third-person singular of alarm

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in concerns

to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy alarmed at the skyrocketing cost of home heating fuel

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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

Noun

Others, primarily older, Black residents from the West and South sides, raised alarms about day-to-day policing issues in the parts of the city most afflicted by crime and other quality-of-life deficiencies. — Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 13 Nov. 2026 If the season’s steadiest Latino contender starts to slide, or voters opt for someone like his co-star Robert Pattinson instead, the alarms will only get louder. — Clayton Davis, Variety, 12 Nov. 2026 By last spring, managers at East Orange were sending increasingly dire alarms internally. — Eric Umansky, ProPublica, 11 Nov. 2026 In Germany, though, Musk has been a conspicuous ally of the far-right, urging Germans to move on from their guilt over the Nazi past while sounding alarms about the perils that immigrants supposedly present to white Europeans. — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 11 Nov. 2026 Law enforcement unions and library advocate groups across the state have raised alarms over the impact of funding losses on public services. — Zoey Thomas, Sun Sentinel, 7 Nov. 2026 From there, the group is using automation to create LOTS of new wallets to filter small amounts of crypto, so as not to trigger alarms for moving assets worth a bazillion dollars. — Cooper Katz McKim, NPR, 6 Nov. 2026 Make sure your home has working smoke alarms, and keep them maintained according to the manufacturer’s instructions. — Lynn Andriani, Martha Stewart, 29 Oct. 2026 The confrontation spilled into the military, where reservists threatened to suspend volunteer service, raising alarms about Israel's preparedness. — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026

Verb

That prospect alarms those in Europe, who fear FIFA could increasingly challenge their competitions for space on an already overcrowded calendar. — Clemente Lisi, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 He becomes increasingly consumed by the otherworldly dimension, which alarms his therapist, Mary (Renate Reinsve). — Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 30 May 2026 The focal point of escalating concern is oldest son Jeremy (Edik Beddoes) whose increasingly erratic behavior alarms those around him, not only for his safety but others as well. — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 7 May 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for alarms

Noun

Doctors stressed the importance of hormone therapies, which many women are considering again after the removal of federal safety warnings.

— Laura Ungar, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026
Buckley said business jet crews often don’t heed the same warnings.

— David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of warnings

Verb

Before their conversation can go any further, Morgan scares himself by remembering that tabloids used to tap celebrities’ phones to get gossip fodder, and hangs up on her.

— Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2026
Dozens of other Halloween 2026 events in Metro Detroit are listed in the CBS News Detroit treats and scares roundup.

— Jack Springgate, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of scares

Verb

The case concerns the Israeli military’s bombing of a residential building in Beirut on November 26, 2024, just a few hours before a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah was due to come into effect.

— Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 3 Nov. 2026
What concerns me is the gap that can open between enterprises with access to the same technology.

— Todd Bernson, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of concerns

Noun

The boy had been reported missing three days earlier, triggering a search that, according to the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station, included canvassing the community, wireless emergency alerts, and the use of scent dogs.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2026
With its distinctive and deeply thoughtful philosophy, one senses there will be a lot of repeat guests arriving for Eha’s three- to seven-night wellness programs, swapping pinging inboxes and calendar alerts for birch saunas and forest bathing.

— Liam Hess, Vogue, 11 Nov. 2026

Definition of alerts

Verb

The prospect of Sean Steur or Lewis Hall — whose contract situation Wilson refused to be drawn on, despite being asked three times — leaving is not something which frightens the hierarchy.

— Chris Waugh, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Penelope, too, is asked to occupy a landscape that frightens her, not only as a neurodivergent child in a neurotypical culture, but as a child now situated in an adult world.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of frightens

Verb

Abdi worries that Miller’s latest promotion will further anti-immigrant policies, which have long painted Iranians and other immigrant communities as threats.

— Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2026
Comen understands the desire for answers but worries that interpreting complex medical information without a physician’s guidance can heighten fear.

— Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of worries

Verb

Watch On In this Canadian cult classic that doubles as a coming-of-age story, a sardonic goth transforms into a werewolf in the days leading up to Halloween and terrifies her younger sister.

— David Faris, TheWeek, 22 Oct. 2026
Black Palace is set in 1888 London as an emerging tabloid media terrifies the public with lurid stories of infamous serial killer Jack the Ripper.

— Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of terrifies

Verb

Some of the sightings claim a man wearing clothing typical of the 17th or 18th centuries, a man dressed in Confederate attire in the liquor room, a ghost of a former worker Joseph Hardesty and a female who actively disturbs visitors to her home.

— Kaitlyn Keegan, Hartford Courant, 25 Sep. 2026
Vibration disturbs the natural sediments in wine, flattening the flavor and aging it prematurely.

— Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 25 Sep. 2026