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.
“Once they started having people in interim housing for nine months or a year, that should have rang some alarm bells, because that’s just not sustainable,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026
“Inflation alarm bells are ringing,” said Bert Colijn, chief economist for the Netherlands at ING, noting a three-year high in industry selling-price expectations and a sharp spike in consumer inflation views.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 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
"The flash Eurozone PMI is ringing stagflation alarm bells," said Williamson.
From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026
Trolleys went to every corner of the city, zipping up and down hills, their clanging bells a warning for anyone careless enough to wander onto the tracks.
From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland
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.
