panic button
A 'panic button' can be a literal device for emergencies or a metaphor for urgent actions taken under stress.
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Definition
B2Security
(common)A device that, when activated, triggers an alarm or alert to summon immediate help.
Example
- The store installed a panic button under the counter to alert the police during a robbery.
- Pressing the panic button in an emergency will notify the security team instantly.
B2Metaphor
(figurative, informal)An action taken hastily or urgently in response to a perceived crisis.
Example
- When the project started to fail, the manager hit the panic button and called an emergency meeting.
- She always hits the panic button whenever there's a minor problem.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "panic button":
bell buttonpress buttonpower buttonhit the buttonblue buttonhot buttonbutton mashnuclear buttoncall buttonbutton lockalarm bellreset buttonpressure padcheese button