panic button
noun
: something setting off a precipitous emergency response
there was no pushing of panic buttons at the White House, no rushing of troops—
J. C. Harsch
J. C. Harsch
Examples of panic button in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Hare was not responding to radio traffic and later appeared to have been able to depress a panic button common on police radios, alerting colleagues to his situation, Weisler said.
—Doha Madani, NBC News, 17 Mar. 2024
That same year, Washington added a few initial regulations, including panic buttons and blacklists for customers.
—Hallie Golden, Fortune, 7 Feb. 2024
And Emergency Communication Systems Wireless panic buttons, emergency notification platforms and intercom systems allow quick communication when caught in emergencies.
—Amit Samsukha, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024
The Arizona State hockey team isn’t pressing the panic button on its season just yet.
—Jenna Ortiz, The Arizona Republic, 18 Jan. 2024
SimpliSafe 12-Piece Home Security Bundle for $200 ($200 Off)
Amazon
SimpliSafe (9/10, WIRED Recommends) makes home security easy to set up and expand on as needed with multiple motion, door, and window sensors, plus panic buttons and key fob controllers.
—Scott Gilbertson, WIRED, 11 Oct. 2023
Even former House Speaker Paul Ryan pushed the panic button, but he’s been led astray.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 5 Dec. 2023
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
In December, Motorola bought a company that makes a panic button system already used in thousands of schools to quickly lock down classrooms and call for help.
—Bystephen Gandel, Fortune, 8 June 2023
Doha Madani, NBC News, 17 Mar. 2024
That same year, Washington added a few initial regulations, including panic buttons and blacklists for customers.
—Hallie Golden, Fortune, 7 Feb. 2024
And Emergency Communication Systems Wireless panic buttons, emergency notification platforms and intercom systems allow quick communication when caught in emergencies.
—Amit Samsukha, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024
The Arizona State hockey team isn’t pressing the panic button on its season just yet.
—Jenna Ortiz, The Arizona Republic, 18 Jan. 2024
SimpliSafe 12-Piece Home Security Bundle for $200 ($200 Off)
Amazon
SimpliSafe (9/10, WIRED Recommends) makes home security easy to set up and expand on as needed with multiple motion, door, and window sensors, plus panic buttons and key fob controllers.
—Scott Gilbertson, WIRED, 11 Oct. 2023
Even former House Speaker Paul Ryan pushed the panic button, but he’s been led astray.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 5 Dec. 2023
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
In December, Motorola bought a company that makes a panic button system already used in thousands of schools to quickly lock down classrooms and call for help.
—Bystephen Gandel, Fortune, 8 June 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'panic button.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1948, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near panic button
Cite this Entry
“Panic button.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/panic%20button. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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