push/hit/press the panic button
idiom
: to become extremely afraid or nervous when something bad happens or might happen
Medical officials says there is no need to push the panic button over two isolated cases of the disease.
Examples of push/hit/press the panic button in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
For now, overall crypto prices are stable, and there is no reason to hit the panic button.
—
Jeff John Roberts, Fortune Crypto, 7 Aug. 2023
No worries Despite the loss, Monday night’s loss to Kansas is no reason for Texas fans to hit the panic button.
—Dallas News, 6 Feb. 2023
At worst, they might be tempted to hit the panic button full throttle.
—Natasha Miller, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2022
Investors seemed to hit the panic button for the broader exhibition sector when Cineworld warned about a likely restructuring, sending the stocks of its peers lower as well.
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Sep. 2022
Both Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant already had been ruled out for the year when the Rockets hit the panic button, and the Warriors were no longer in the picture as a viable threat.
—Rahat Huq, Chron, 28 June 2021
If a big wave happens, and there's a strong demand, a lot of governments will likely press the panic button.
—NBC News, 16 Oct. 2020
With investors fleeing Disney — its stock dropped 13 percent the day after the earnings report, the biggest decline since the Sept. 11 attacks — and Mr. Cramer of CNBC now openly calling for Mr. Chapek to be fired, the Disney board decided to push the panic button.
—James B. Stewart, New York Times, 21 Nov. 2022
Week 2 is still too early to push the panic button for the Broncos, who just haven’t looked good on offense yet.
—Tim Bielik, cleveland, 22 Sep. 2022
Jeff John Roberts, Fortune Crypto, 7 Aug. 2023
No worries Despite the loss, Monday night’s loss to Kansas is no reason for Texas fans to hit the panic button.
—Dallas News, 6 Feb. 2023
At worst, they might be tempted to hit the panic button full throttle.
—Natasha Miller, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2022
Investors seemed to hit the panic button for the broader exhibition sector when Cineworld warned about a likely restructuring, sending the stocks of its peers lower as well.
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Sep. 2022
Both Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant already had been ruled out for the year when the Rockets hit the panic button, and the Warriors were no longer in the picture as a viable threat.
—Rahat Huq, Chron, 28 June 2021
If a big wave happens, and there's a strong demand, a lot of governments will likely press the panic button.
—NBC News, 16 Oct. 2020
With investors fleeing Disney — its stock dropped 13 percent the day after the earnings report, the biggest decline since the Sept. 11 attacks — and Mr. Cramer of CNBC now openly calling for Mr. Chapek to be fired, the Disney board decided to push the panic button.
—James B. Stewart, New York Times, 21 Nov. 2022
Week 2 is still too early to push the panic button for the Broncos, who just haven’t looked good on offense yet.
—Tim Bielik, cleveland, 22 Sep. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'push/hit/press the panic button.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Push/hit/press the panic button.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/push%2Fhit%2Fpress%20the%20panic%20button. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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