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
That false alarm didn’t stop Raney from coaching.
—
Greg Riddle, Dallas Morning News, 2 Apr. 2026
Questions remain over funding costs exceeding $10,000 per system, effectiveness amid false alarms, and whether the approach addresses Georgia’s gun access laws.
—Jeff Amy, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026
Authorities later determined that incident involved a false alarm, but officers were actively investigating at the time.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Mar. 2026
And even supporters of the systems say searchers can become dulled by a multitude of false alarms and miss the few actual weapons.
—CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for false alarm
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Greg Riddle, Dallas Morning News, 2 Apr. 2026
Questions remain over funding costs exceeding $10,000 per system, effectiveness amid false alarms, and whether the approach addresses Georgia’s gun access laws.
—Jeff Amy, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026
Authorities later determined that incident involved a false alarm, but officers were actively investigating at the time.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Mar. 2026
And even supporters of the systems say searchers can become dulled by a multitude of false alarms and miss the few actual weapons.
—CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
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 6 Apr. 2026.
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