bells
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of bells
1965–70; by shortening of the full phrase, as in shorts from short pants
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.
A heavy quiet hangs over Theofilou's farm in the absence of the bleats from the sheep and the tinkle of their bells.
From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026
The people filling up trucks, trains, planes and ships with jet fuel, diesel or fuel oil are ringing alarm bells.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026
But the alarm bells are ringing within OpenAI’s offices too, which have been locked in “code red” mode since December.
From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026
But a second-consecutive season without silverware would perhaps raise alarm bells.
From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026
“I don’t want you to wear bells, Comfort. I just want you to come.”
From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
