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

The ruling, the first of its kind under Hong Kong’s Societies Ordinance, has raised alarms over freedom of association as authorities continue tightening controls after the 2019 democracy protests. — Kanis Leung, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026 Summer generally offers reliable flying conditions, but also the year’s earliest alarms and largest crowds. — Scott Campbell, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026 Head into the remainder of the year with travel essentials that offer a little extra peace of mind, including luggage locks, portable travel safes, and personal alarms that can help deter pickpockets. — Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 2 Sep. 2026 And some oil executives, energy lawyers, and members of the Venezuelan public are raising alarms about the deal’s legality and Betancourt’s involvement. — Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 1 Sep. 2026 Related Stories The group is also planning a press conference Thursday outside the Paramount gates to raise alarms about what would happen if the studio leaves California. — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 1 Sep. 2026 Larkin earned almost 40% of the vote in a Zionist stronghold district that includes Boca Raton and Miami Beach, where progressive criticism of Israel raises alarms among many institutions and voters. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026 Many flood-prone valleys in the country have warning alarms, but as NPR has reported, the government has struggled to keep up with the cost of maintaining the systems. — Ava Berger, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026 At face value, young men exercising should not be reason to sound the alarms, and yet there is something treacherous about men in their formative years placing physical beauty as the ultimate expression of self-actualization. — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 27 Aug. 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

But Kelce, unaware of Gracie’s warnings, cheerfully makes a peace sign in response.

— Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026
The Brazil advisory comes amid other recent State Department warnings for Americans traveling abroad.

— Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of warnings

Verb

The impact of food recalls The FDA issued 26 food recall notices in August, and 94% of Americans say the frequency of recalls concerns them.

— Diane Brady, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2026
Cao’s deeper subject here concerns the wagers people make on their futures and, by extension, the ways risk is deferred and abstracted in our gamified, appified, casino-like present.

— Pablo Larios, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of concerns

Noun

The Emergency Alert System and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration provide emergency alerts.

— Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
The Roseville Police Department has been defending its use of the technology after a July report found more than 1,000 inaccurate license plate alerts generated by the system.

— Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of alerts

Verb

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
And for members who have a long history, who are used to running on that long history, that frightens them.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of frightens

Verb

Instead, the market worries whether such high growth has already been fully priced into stock values or is approaching a growth inflection point.

— , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
The beekeeper worries the new warehouse-like facilities will raise his utility bills or change the local environment.

— Drew Hawkins, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of worries

Verb

Traffic between somebody else's router and somebody else's laptop, say in a random coffee shop or an airport, can provide the radio field that your body disturbs to create your specific signature.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 26 Aug. 2026
Tilling or plowing in the summer disturbs the soil's delicate ecosystem and exposes moist soil to rapid water loss.

— Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 24 June 2026