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

Examples of panic button in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Now, the moviegoing public can stumble on perfect replicas of theatrical blockbusters on numerous social apps and screen them in full before copyright teams can hit the panic button. — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026

Brown has had occasional rough moments during camp, but coach Zac Taylor wasn’t hitting the panic button after a dozen practices and two live series. — Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026

Cove sent me a full array of add-ons, including indoor and outdoor cameras, a doorbell camera, a smoke detector, a carbon monoxide (CO) detector, a panic button, a glass-break sensor, a water-leak sensor, a siren, and a remote fob. — John R. Delaney, PC Magazine, 10 Aug. 2026

After a woeful June, one that had even the club’s most fervent supporters hovering their hands over panic buttons, the Braves have burst out of the All-Star break with vengeance on offense. — Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 20 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for panic button

• clutton
• glutton
• mutton
• unbutton