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.

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 there is no indication of a false alarm or if a second detector sends a warning, fire alarms are then normally activated throughout the building.

From BBC • Jan. 22, 2025

Dandelion grew nervous and twice gave a false alarm.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams