to sound a warning bell
- idiom
- When the storm warning was issued, it prompted officials to sound a warning bell about the potential for flooding.
Examples
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The recent data breach should sound a warning bell for companies to improve their cybersecurity measures.
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In this talk from TEDGlobal 2012, Krastev sounds a warning bell about what this erosion of trust could mean for the future.
Blog text (25) -
Experts are urging scientists to sound a warning bell regarding the effects of climate change on our ecosystems.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
Tell someone about possible danger so they can be careful
255
2.3
To warn someone about a possible danger or problem
133
1.9
To make someone feel afraid or worried about possible danger
92
3.0
To warn someone about danger or problems
14
4.8
Tell someone about possible danger before it happens
3
4.6
To signal that there may be a problem or danger
1
4.2
To tell people about a possible danger before it happens
Make someone think there may be a problem
Antonyms
How Urgent
Surface Forms
Morphology
The sense 'to alert people to a potential danger' is directly built from 'sound' (to emit a noise), 'warning' (an alert), and 'bell' (a device that rings to warn). This compositional pattern is literal and common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words will readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
The phrase sound a warning bell comes from the old practice of ringing a loud bell in a town to warn people of danger, like a fire or an attack. Because the bell made everyone notice quickly, the phrase now means 'to alert people to a possible danger or serious problem'.