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

It's needed because most alarms are sound-based, which doesn't help people who are deaf. — Stephanie Stahl, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026 Dropping two cylinders and losing almost three liters of displacement means there’s no option for shaking a garage on its foundations or setting off car alarms while waiting for a red light. — New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2026 French newspaper Le Monde reported that hackers also extended the defrost cycle in some freezers and cold-storage rooms from one hour to eight hours to delay alarms. — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 13 Oct. 2026 Guilfoyle’s yearlong tenure in Athens was rocked last month by the first of multiple Journal articles on conduct that has raised alarms among ethics experts and former government officials. — Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026 These findings triggered alarms for researchers, doctors and patients. — Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026 Investigators reported that the duplex had no smoke alarms, fire alarm system or sprinklers. — The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Sun, 13 Oct. 2026 At a True Texas Project meeting earlier this month, O’Hare was sounding the alarms, worried about the safety of his seat. — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Oct. 2026 Parents, educators and child development experts have been sounding alarms over children’s use of AI chatbots, which have been blamed for facilitating cheating on schoolwork and even suicide. — ABC News, 7 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

The warnings come as rising borrowing costs threaten to complicate financing for technology companies investing heavily in AI infrastructure.

— Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2026
Seven flash flood warnings were issued overnight for communities west of Charlotte, including in Morganton, Valdese and Icard in Burke County.

— Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of warnings

Verb

In the most basic sense, a film in which supernatural scares arise courtesy of negative space ought to at least have thoughtful framing, but the endless series of startles arrive with the same weight and energy as the fake outs.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
Kennedy, who was an anti-vaccine activist before entering politics and has sent mixed messages to Americans about getting the measles vaccine, scares her.

— Ali Swenson, STAT, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of scares

Noun

However, the students who spoke with CBS Colorado said the alerts did not adequately explain the seriousness of the situation.

— Christa Swanson, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
The state’s earthquake early warning system uses sensors to detect earthquakes that have already begun and sends alerts to people in areas where shaking is expected, according to the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 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

Sanabria is not sold on the city’s pricey plans to build a new garage, known as the Mobility Hub, a pet project of Lago and Iglesias, and worries businesses will be hurt during the construction process.

— Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026
Asked by ranking member Michael Bennet (D-CO) what worries him the most, Fauci said the possibility of a pandemic flu.

— Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of worries

Verb

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
What terrifies you about this moment and inspires you about this moment?

— Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 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