false alarm
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Doubts about the current bull market have started to creep in following Friday’s tech stock wipeout, but this wouldn’t be the first false alarm.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026
Chronic pain, however, continues even after the injury has healed, creating a kind of false alarm that can last for weeks, months, or years.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 27, 2026
Historical records reveal there were several close calls in the early ’80s, including the 1983 Soviet nuclear false alarm that could have triggered a nuclear war.
From Slate ● Feb. 2, 2026
The ShakeAlert computer system that warns about the imminent arrival of shaking from earthquakes sent out a false alarm Thursday morning for a magnitude 5.9 temblor in Carson City, Nev., that did not actually happen.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 4, 2025
If something really bad happened, the police would think it was another false alarm and not come.
From "The Old Willis Place" by Mary Downing Hahn
