press the panic button

press the panic button

To overreact to a negative situation with an inordinate amount of fear, alarm, or confusion. If you're going to be a successful boss, you can't press the panic button every time your company has a minor setback. New parents tend to press the panic button over every little sniffle their first baby gets.
See also: button, panic, press
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

press (or push or hit) the panic button

respond to a situation by panicking or taking emergency measures. informal
A panic button is a security device which can be used to raise the alarm in an emergency.
See also: button, panic, press
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

press/push the ˈpanic button

(British English) react in a sudden or an extreme way to something unexpected that has frightened you: Although the team lost yet another match on Saturday, their manager is refusing to press the panic button.
See also: button, panic, press, push
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

press the panic button

verb
See hit the panic button
See also: button, panic, press
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
See also:
  • press/push the panic button
  • hit the panic button
  • push the panic button
  • push the panic button, to
  • fall all over
  • fall all over (one)
  • make a fuss of/over somebody/something
  • make a fuss over (someone or something)
  • make a fuss of (someone or something)
  • fuss over (someone or something)
References in periodicals archive
England coach Andy Robinson has refused to press the panic button following his team's dismal start to their Six Nations campaign and made just one change for Sunday's clash against unbeaten title contenders Ireland in Dublin.: ENGLAND TEAM:J Robinson (Sale Sharks, capt); M Cueto (Sale Sharks), J Noon (Newcastle), O Barkley (Bath), J Lewsey (Wasps); C Hodgson (Sale Sharks), H Ellis (Leicester); G Rowntree (Leicester), S Thompson (Northampton), M Stevens (Bath), D Grewcock (Bath), B Kay (Leicester), J Worsley (Wasps), L Moody (Leicester), M Corry (Leicester).
Rod Brown insists there will be no need to press the panic button at Redditch United.
HIS side may have lost four in a row without scoring a goal and won just one in eight - but Newport County boss Peter Nicholas is refusing to press the panic button, writes Mark Bloom.
But Davies, who is already planning to make at least two new signings, is refusing to press the panic button and will continue to give the players time to gel.
Ray Graydon refused to press the panic button insisting: "It's a bad run but maybe not as bad as it seems because we've lost to Sunderland twice, Manchester City and Blackburn.
KIERAN RICHARDSON is refusing to press the panic button at Fulham - insisting it's too soon to worry about their Premier League position.
On Saturday the Peasy drew 1-1 with Rob Roy but Paterson is refusing to press the panic button.
0 ARSENE WENGER has refused to press the panic button despite the growing gap between Arsenal and the Premier League pace-setters.
But Ferguson also refused to press the panic button and said that his team had the necessary experience to bounce back from two defeats in a row, The Sun reports.
QUESTION TWO: Is it too early to press the panic button? JOHN BROOKES: "Steve Gibson made money available earlier in the summer but since then the purse strings seem to have been tightened a bit.
"I don't think anyone will press the panic button, because anyone who watched us at Leyton Orient must know it's only a matter of time before we click and have a successful season."
Asked if he was about to press the panic button Ponting said: 'It's getting close.
But Robinson has refused to press the panic button following the painful 18-17 loss to France 10 days ago, making just one enforced change by replacing broken-arm victim Phil Vickery with Bath prop Matt Stevens, who is handed his first international start.
But five days ahead of their match against England, who lost 11-9 to Wales at the weekend, Pelous does not want to press the panic button, although the side have clearly failed to bounce back from their two November Test-match defeats to Argentina and New Zealand.
WOLVES boss Dave Jones refused to press the panic button after his team slid to their third pre-season defeat in a week.