canary in a coal mine
idiomPart ofcanary
canary in a coal mine — idiom
1. a person, thing, or situation that serves as an early warning of danger or probl
1.idiom
Definition
a person, thing, or situation that serves as an early warning of danger or problems that are about to affect a larger group
Example
The sudden drop in the river's fish population was a canary in a coal mine for the region's water quality.
Rising costs in the housing market are often a canary in a coal mine for the broader economy.
When a few small banks began to fail, experts saw it as a canary in a coal mine for the whole financial system.