Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

panic stations

British  

plural noun

  1. informal a state of alarm; panicky reaction

    when he realized he'd lost the keys it was panic stations

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

"It's certainly not panic stations," said Ten Doeschate, who hinted there could be discussions about India's batting line-up.

From Barron's • Feb. 23, 2026

England was at panic stations and fortunate that Samoa’s next two tries were ruled out by the barest of margins.

From Washington Times • Oct. 7, 2023

All of a sudden, it was panic stations.

From BBC • May 1, 2023

“It was panic stations . . . Steve was kicking doors down,” Scott laughed of his early-morning search for his clubs.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 23, 2022

“That instantly puts it into a different zone. Within Scientology, this becomes panic stations, high alert.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2021