ALARMS Synonyms: 153 Similar and Opposite Words

alarms 1 of 2

noun

variants also alarums

plural of alarm

as in warnings

the act or an instance of telling beforehand of danger or risk in a daring midnight ride Paul Revere gave the alarm that British troops were approaching

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alarms

2 of 2

verb

variants also alarums

present tense third-person singular of alarm

as in scares

to strike with fear I don't want to alarm you, but I think you should know there's a bear on your back porch

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in concerns

to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy alarmed at the skyrocketing cost of home heating fuel

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of alarms

Noun

At a True Texas Project meeting earlier this month, O’Hare was sounding the alarms, worried about the safety of his seat. — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Oct. 2026 But my friend says—three air raid alarms during the screening, and after each all-clear, the story was rewound ten minutes. — Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026 Parents, educators and child development experts have been sounding alarms over children’s use of AI chatbots, which have been blamed for facilitating cheating on schoolwork and even suicide. — ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026 There are the now-traditional scenes in which Carrie learns to consciously control her telekinetic superpowers, previously manifested by accidentally setting off car alarms, opening mailboxes and causing a rain of rocks on her parents’ roof. — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026 The flip side, however, is that the Giants are also one loss to the Cardinals away from sounding the alarms. — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 4 Oct. 2026 The reasons for hope may not soon come from companies or executives sounding alarms. — Susan Gouijnstook, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2026 The 7500 distress code, which is used to signal a possible hijacking, set off alarms at the highest levels. — Gerry Shih, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2026 These alarms are being raised by the same company that has repeatedly claimed its AI is conscious. — Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 29 Sep. 2026

Verb

That prospect alarms those in Europe, who fear FIFA could increasingly challenge their competitions for space on an already overcrowded calendar. — Clemente Lisi, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 He becomes increasingly consumed by the otherworldly dimension, which alarms his therapist, Mary (Renate Reinsve). — Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 30 May 2026 The focal point of escalating concern is oldest son Jeremy (Edik Beddoes) whose increasingly erratic behavior alarms those around him, not only for his safety but others as well. — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 7 May 2026 Whether that future excites or alarms fans, the law—not nostalgia or tradition—will determine who suits up in March. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 18 Mar. 2026 The development of Moltbook, with AI bots forming their own social media, alarms him. — Joe Hagan, Vanity Fair, 18 Mar. 2026 When something goes wrong, alarms fire. — Robert B. Shpiner, STAT, 13 Mar. 2026 Yet the price of gas seems likely to keep rising, which alarms Republicans. — Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2026 The Corps has adamantly refused to conduct sediment testing for PFAS, which alarms local scientists and environmentalists like Burdette. — Patrick Sisson, Scientific American, 9 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for alarms

Noun

The bombers were moved abruptly in response to multiple streams of intelligence warnings, including a threat that the aircraft could be hit in a swarm drone attack similar to one Ukraine launched against Russia in June 2025.

— Steve Hendrix, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
That said, heed any and all warnings to wait for a guide or staff member to take you to your tent when there's been an animal in the camp.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of warnings

Noun

After dangerous discussions that went as long as an hour, only a handful of alerts were sent to the accounts registered as the users’ parents.

— Ella Chakarian, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Real-time underground detection gives operators instant alerts, helping keep communities safe as clean fusion energy moves closer to the power grid.

— Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of alerts

Verb

The prospect of Sean Steur or Lewis Hall — whose contract situation Wilson refused to be drawn on, despite being asked three times — leaving is not something which frightens the hierarchy.

— Chris Waugh, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Penelope, too, is asked to occupy a landscape that frightens her, not only as a neurodivergent child in a neurotypical culture, but as a child now situated in an adult world.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of frightens

Verb

Wilner-Deering worries that the attention paid to Epstein’s associates has crowded out what survivors have said happened to them.

— Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026
The Iranian regime also worries that its favorable position will not last forever.

— Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of worries

Verb

Black Palace is set in 1888 London as an emerging tabloid media terrifies the public with lurid stories of infamous serial killer Jack the Ripper.

— Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 8 Sep. 2026
What terrifies you about this moment and inspires you about this moment?

— Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of terrifies

Verb

Some of the sightings claim a man wearing clothing typical of the 17th or 18th centuries, a man dressed in Confederate attire in the liquor room, a ghost of a former worker Joseph Hardesty and a female who actively disturbs visitors to her home.

— Kaitlyn Keegan, Hartford Courant, 25 Sep. 2026
Vibration disturbs the natural sediments in wine, flattening the flavor and aging it prematurely.

— Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 25 Sep. 2026