push/hit/press the panic button

idiom

: to become extremely afraid or nervous when something bad happens or might happen

Medical officials says there is no need to push the panic button over two isolated cases of the disease.

Examples of push/hit/press the panic button in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But Democratic voters may feel differently if Trump wins, and look to Congress to hit the panic button and do whatever is necessary to keep the former president from serving another term. —Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 28 Mar. 2024

Recent results might cause Manchester City to hit the panic button, but such a move would go completely against the club’s strategy during Pep Guardiola’s time as head coach. —Steve Price, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024

After 10 games of mostly poor defensive play, is the time getting close to hit the panic button? —Mike Preston, Baltimore Sun, 14 Nov. 2024

India skipper Rohit Sharma is not one to press the panic button. —Tim Ellis, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024

But should those clubs hit the panic button now, or give their coaching teams more time? —Steve Price, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024

Politicians, party hacks, and fat-cat donors hit the panic button and put the screws to Biden to compel him to drop out of the race. —Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 22 July 2024

Nigeria’s swerve toward insecurity has prompted even sober and well-respected analysts to press the panic button. —Fola Aina, Foreign Affairs, 5 May 2021

But Peter Vermes is clearly not ready to press the panic button. —Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 21 Apr. 2024