false alarm
noun
1
: an alarm (such as a fire or burglar alarm) that is set off needlessly
2
: something causing alarm or excitement that proves to be unfounded
Examples of false alarm in a Sentence
A false alarm drew firefighters to the school.
The report that the factory would be closing was a false alarm.
He thought he might be having a heart attack, but his chest pains were just a false alarm.
Recent Examples on the Web
Launched from a rooftop dock when a 911 call is received, a drone can reach the scene in minutes and stream live video and thermal data, allowing dispatch teams to cancel false alarms or tailor resources.
—
Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Its intelligent Human Detection system minimizes false alarms by recognizing human movement.
—Shubham Yewale, PCMAG, 14 Jan. 2025
The problem with faulty alerts and unclear information, Galperin said, is many people who get false alarms silence those notices, or ignore the next one.
—Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2025
That said, the app does wait 30 seconds before doing so, giving you time to stop it in the event of a false alarm.
—New Atlas, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for false alarm
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Its intelligent Human Detection system minimizes false alarms by recognizing human movement.
—Shubham Yewale, PCMAG, 14 Jan. 2025
The problem with faulty alerts and unclear information, Galperin said, is many people who get false alarms silence those notices, or ignore the next one.
—Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2025
That said, the app does wait 30 seconds before doing so, giving you time to stop it in the event of a false alarm.
—New Atlas, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for false alarm
Cite this Entry
“False alarm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/false%20alarm. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.
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