false alarm

American  

noun

1. a false report of a fire in progress to a fire department.

2. something that excites unfounded alarm or expectation.

   Rumors of an impending transit strike proved to be a false alarm.

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false alarm British  

noun

1. a needless alarm given in error or with intent to deceive

2. an occasion on which danger is perceived but fails to materialize

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false alarm Idioms  

1. A warning signal that is groundless, made either by mistake or as a deliberate deception. For example, The rumor that we were all going to get fired was just a false alarm, or Setting off a false alarm is a criminal offense. This expression, first recorded in 1579, today is often used for a report of a nonexistent fire.

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Etymology

Origin of false alarm

First recorded in 1570–80

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

false alarm

As Salon reported at the time, experts said was a false alarm.

From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026

Still, that false alarm cost them about $160.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026

Nothing was found, and the call was dismissed as a false alarm.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 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

He couldn't make the Theorem work, and he realized that his Eureka moment had been a false alarm.

From "An Abundance of Katherines" by John Green