press/push the panic button
to react in a sudden or extreme way to something unexpected that has frightened you惊慌失措;仓促行事;采取紧急行动- The prime minister pressed the panic button yesterday as Britain’s economy plunged deeper into crisis.随着英国经济陷入更深的危机,首相昨天按下了紧急按钮。
See also panicbutton | press | push