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.
If Rosenior loses this tie too, then the alarm bells would really be ringing at Stamford Bridge.
From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026
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
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
Weak Canadian job numbers for February will likely raise alarm bells at the Bank of Canada but won’t be enough to sway policymakers to cut rates next week, Oxford Economics said in a note.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026
Church bells tolled for the dead, over forty thousand and counting.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
