sound the alarm
sound the alarm — idiom
1. to draw attention to danger or to a serious problem by ringing a bell, activatin
to draw attention to danger or to a serious problem by ringing a bell, activating a siren, shouting, or speaking out publicly
Ilan sounded the alarm when he saw smoke rising from the school kitchen.
sound the alarm + when-clause for a physical danger
The head nurse sounded the alarm about the shortage of clean bandages.
sound the alarm about + [problem]
Indra heard a strange hissing sound from the gas pipe and immediately sounded the alarm.
Allison was the first economist to sound the alarm about the housing crisis.
No one sounded the alarm until the river had already flooded the lower floors.
- raise the alarm
very similar but leans more toward initiating a general alert; slightly more British usage
- alert
more general — can be done privately to one person, while 'sound the alarm' is always public
- warn
the broadest term; can be private or public, urgent or casual — lacks the urgency of 'sound the alarm'
文法句型
sound the alarm
sound the alarm about + noun phrase
用法筆記
Used both for physical alarms (bells, sirens) and for figurative public warnings about problems. Often followed by 'about' + the danger or problem being warned about.