alarm bell

NOUN

warning bell

Synonyms

STRONGEST

fire alarm

WEAK

burglar alarm danger signal tocsin

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.

He strategically delayed his alarm bell until his Bharatiya Janata Party won a landmark election in West Bengal state, India’s fourth-most populous.

From Barron's • May 21, 2026

Though this hasn’t yet reached the scale of a pandemic, it’s essentially an alarm bell for any country that values human life.

From Salon • May 20, 2026

Her husband telling her to give up her job is an alarm bell.

From MarketWatch • May 4, 2026

I’ve been guilty of this as well: not ringing the alarm bell with sufficient urgency.

From Slate • Dec. 17, 2025

His tone of voice set off a small alarm bell in my head.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel