alarm bells start ringing

alarm bells start ringing

Some issue indicates that one should be concerned about a potentially greater problem or troubling situation. Alarm bells started ringing among the board members when sales continued to decline for the second straight If your date asks you to meet in a secluded place, alarm bells should start ringing. Alarm bells started ringing for me when I saw the panicked expression on her face.

See also: alarm, bell, ring, start

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.