silent alarm
Americannoun
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an alarm that alerts security personnel or the police without the knowledge of the intruder or criminal whose presence triggers it.
The silent alarm set off a flashing light at the police station.
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any visual rather than audible alarm.
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.
Twice the operation was interrupted by police officers who came to Sinay’s office when she accidentally set off a silent alarm, but for the most part the copying proceeded without mishap.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2023
Police contacted Ms Leonard after a priority 999 call from a silent alarm system in her home had been logged.
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2023
China’s nosedive in childbearing is a silent alarm.
From Washington Post • Feb. 28, 2023
An estimated 43 percent of public schools have a “panic button” or silent alarm that connect directly with the police in case of emergency, up from 29 percent five years ago.
From New York Times • Jan. 12, 2023
This time, their expressions are full of silent alarm.
From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day
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.
