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Meaning & use

alarm bells

phrase·Everyday

Last updated

UK/əˈlɑːm belz/
US/əˈlɑːrm belz/

Meanings

  1. phrasepluralfigurative

    A feeling or sign that something is seriously wrong and needs attention.

    Grammar: Used as a plural noun phrase: alarm bells ring, or something sets off alarm bells.

    Patterns

    • set off alarm bells
    • alarm bells ring/start ringing
    • something sets off alarm bells in someone

    The missing receipts set off alarm bells with the auditors.

    When he refused to give a straight answer, alarm bells started ringing in my head.

    Her sudden silence rang alarm bells for everyone on the team.

  2. phraseplural

    Real bells that make a loud noise to warn people of danger.

    Grammar: The literal use; often in the phrase 'the alarm bells went off'.

    Patterns

    • the alarm bells went off
    • alarm bells sounded

    The alarm bells went off when smoke reached the kitchen ceiling.

    We heard the alarm bells from the street before the fire engines arrived.

Common combinations

set off alarm bells
A payment that large should set off alarm bells at any bank.
alarm bells ring
If a deal sounds too good to be true, alarm bells should ring.
alarm bells go off
Alarm bells went off when the same name appeared three times.
raise alarm bells
The delay raised alarm bells about the supplier's finances.
alarm bells start ringing
Alarm bells started ringing when he could not name his own manager.

Synonyms and how they differ

warning sign
More neutral and general; it can point to any future problem, while 'alarm bells' suggests strong, immediate suspicion.
red flag
Very close in meaning, but 'red flag' often names one clear piece of evidence, whereas 'alarm bells' describes the reaction or signal itself.
caution
A quieter word for care and attention; it does not carry the sense of sudden, urgent suspicion.

Opposites

all-clear

Word family

alarm noun
A warning sound or device, or a feeling of fear.
alarmed adjective
Worried or frightened by something.
alarming adjective
Frightening or worrying in a way that demands action.

Commonly confused: alarm bells or bell?

alarm bells vs bell

A bell is the physical object; 'alarm bells' as an idiom means a warning feeling, not the object itself.

Practice

When the accountant saw the same signature on ten different invoices, alarm bells ______.

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