panic button

noun

: something setting off a precipitous emergency response
there was no pushing of panic buttons at the White House, no rushing of troopsJ. C. Harsch

Examples of panic button in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
India skipper Rohit Sharma is not one to press the panic button. Tim Ellis, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024 The Broncos settled for a 3-0 lead, but here’s the upside: Nobody pushed the panic button. Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 17 Oct. 2024 Mata, a Hispanic housekeeper and UNITE HERE union leader at the W San Francisco, helped lead a successful push at her hotel for workers to be equipped with panic buttons in 2018 to summon security help in an emergency, now implemented by several major hotel chains. Jason Ma, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2024 But should those clubs hit the panic button now, or give their coaching teams more time? Steve Price, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for panic button 

Word History

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of panic button was in 1900

Dictionary Entries Near panic button

Cite this Entry

“Panic button.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/panic%20button. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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