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
Alas, the skit ends with another alert saying the call to evacuate was a false alarm — a callback to the bogus notice that went out last week to all of L.A. County and panicked residents who were nowhere near the fire.
—
Lynette Rice, Deadline, 19 Jan. 2025
The radar blips were satellites; the alert was a false alarm.
—Daniel A. Gross, The New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2025
Robby doesn’t want to involve the police and screw up David’s life if this is a false alarm, or there’s still a chance to talk to the kid.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2025
That detection is also three times more precise to reduce false alarms from things like kitchen mishaps, Kidde says.
—Joe Hindy, PCMAG, 6 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for false alarm 
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Lynette Rice, Deadline, 19 Jan. 2025
The radar blips were satellites; the alert was a false alarm.
—Daniel A. Gross, The New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2025
Robby doesn’t want to involve the police and screw up David’s life if this is a false alarm, or there’s still a chance to talk to the kid.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2025
That detection is also three times more precise to reduce false alarms from things like kitchen mishaps, Kidde says.
—Joe Hindy, PCMAG, 6 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for false alarm
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Dictionary Entries Near false alarm
Cite this Entry
“False alarm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/false%20alarm. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.
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