scare story

American  

[skair stawr-ee] / ˈskɛər ˌstɔr i /

noun

1. a story or report, especially in a news source, that uses sensationalism to make a situation seem more dangerous or worrying than it is in reality.

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Etymology

Origin of scare story

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

This is not a scare story about Provincetown, whose Covid numbers have dropped as its Covid precautions have risen.

From New York Times

Mr. Johnson, he said, initially dismissed the pandemic as a “scare story,” likening it to the swine flu.

From New York Times

The former chief aide said Boris Johnson had initially dismissed Covid as a "scare story" and the UK had been too slow to lock down.

From BBC

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was disastrously slow to impose a lockdown in 2020 because he thought COVID-19 was a scare story and even considered getting injected with coronavirus on live television to show it was benign, his former chief adviser said.

From Reuters

The prime minister thought Covid was “just a scare story” last February, Dominic Cummings has told MPs.

From BBC