1
: the face of a sundial
2
obsolete
: timepiece
3
: the graduated face of a timepiece
4
a
: a face upon which some measurement is registered usually by means of graduations and a pointer
the thermometer dial reads 70°F
b
: a device that may be operated to make electrical connections or to regulate the operation of a machine
a radio dial
a telephone dial
dialed or dialled; dialing or dialling
1
: to measure with a dial
2
a
: to manipulate a device (such as a dial) so as to operate, regulate, or select
dial your favorite program
dialed the wrong number
b
: call sense 1m(1)
dialed the office
1
Synonyms
Examples of dial in a Sentence
Noun
the dial of a pressure gauge
I had to keep adjusting the radio dial to make the station come in clearly.
Verb
I'm sorry. I must have dialed the wrong number.
dialed 911 and asked for the police
Recent Examples on the Web
Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 9 Apr. 2024
Bravo was the kind of stop on the dial where Federico Fellini films were shown along with jazz and ballet performances.
—Stacy Perman, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
The auditor asks a series of questions while operating two dials on the E-meter.
—IEEE Spectrum, 31 Mar. 2024
Its Day-Date model unveiled a year ago, featuring a multicolored dial of enameled puzzle pieces, with emoji (a heart, a kissy face, etc.) and inspirational words replacing the days and dates, is too rare to be seen as a watershed but was a shock nonetheless.
—Tim Barber, WIRED, 26 Mar. 2024
The Busy Buggy has 17 interactive features, like clicking dials and folding mirrors, which allow toddlers to enhance their fine motor skills.
—Julie Evans, Parents, 22 Mar. 2024
Craftsmen will be on hand to demonstrate the processes involved in creating the dials on display.
—Carol Besler, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
March Synch Madness Lifts Terrance Martin & Ludacris Songs
Speaking of Future: His favorite season, March Madness, is in full swing across roughly 40% of the channels on your cable dial.
—Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 27 Mar. 2024
This unleashed a genre in which the likes of Superman, Donald Duck, Buck Rogers, et al. adorned the dials of cheap watches that sold in their millions.
—Tim Barber, WIRED, 26 Mar. 2024
Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 9 Apr. 2024
The crude price surge could ultimately force OPEC+ to dial back some production cuts, said Vikas Dwivedi, a global oil and gas strategist for Macquarie Group.
—Lucia Kassai, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2024
In some cases, authorities stopped trying to notify next of kin after an unanswered door-knock or dialing a nonworking phone number.
—Jon Schuppe, NBC News, 4 Apr. 2024
On a rainy Saturday morning, left-leaning Idahoans, including some candidates for public office, dialed in to a three-hour Zoom workshop to learn how to navigate their status as a political minority in the state.
—Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 2 Apr. 2024
Commentary and opinions Editorial: Bring buttons and dials back to new cars.
—Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2024
Before announcing her diagnosis on the show, some callers dialed in to guess why Paxton Hamel was absent, making a few humorous suggestions.
—Jeff A. Chamer, Charlotte Observer, 28 Mar. 2024
Running modern and cutting-edge games at 3K will be strenuous, though, so expect to dial down the resolution or settings in these games.
—PCMAG, 27 Mar. 2024
The witness dialed 911 as the attacker walked toward his locked front door.
—Kathleen Foody, arkansasonline.com, 29 Mar. 2024
Noun
There’s also a physical volume dial for the standard Bose audio systems, and audio controls on the steering wheel
Other noteworthy interior features include a flat-bottomed steering wheel and customizable ambient lighting.
—Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 9 Apr. 2024
Bravo was the kind of stop on the dial where Federico Fellini films were shown along with jazz and ballet performances.
—Stacy Perman, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
The auditor asks a series of questions while operating two dials on the E-meter.
—IEEE Spectrum, 31 Mar. 2024
Its Day-Date model unveiled a year ago, featuring a multicolored dial of enameled puzzle pieces, with emoji (a heart, a kissy face, etc.) and inspirational words replacing the days and dates, is too rare to be seen as a watershed but was a shock nonetheless.
—Tim Barber, WIRED, 26 Mar. 2024
The Busy Buggy has 17 interactive features, like clicking dials and folding mirrors, which allow toddlers to enhance their fine motor skills.
—Julie Evans, Parents, 22 Mar. 2024
Craftsmen will be on hand to demonstrate the processes involved in creating the dials on display.
—Carol Besler, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
March Synch Madness Lifts Terrance Martin & Ludacris Songs
Speaking of Future: His favorite season, March Madness, is in full swing across roughly 40% of the channels on your cable dial.
—Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 27 Mar. 2024
This unleashed a genre in which the likes of Superman, Donald Duck, Buck Rogers, et al. adorned the dials of cheap watches that sold in their millions.
—Tim Barber, WIRED, 26 Mar. 2024
Verb
The person who dialed 911 didn’t terminate the call.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 9 Apr. 2024
The crude price surge could ultimately force OPEC+ to dial back some production cuts, said Vikas Dwivedi, a global oil and gas strategist for Macquarie Group.
—Lucia Kassai, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2024
In some cases, authorities stopped trying to notify next of kin after an unanswered door-knock or dialing a nonworking phone number.
—Jon Schuppe, NBC News, 4 Apr. 2024
On a rainy Saturday morning, left-leaning Idahoans, including some candidates for public office, dialed in to a three-hour Zoom workshop to learn how to navigate their status as a political minority in the state.
—Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 2 Apr. 2024
Commentary and opinions Editorial: Bring buttons and dials back to new cars.
—Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2024
Before announcing her diagnosis on the show, some callers dialed in to guess why Paxton Hamel was absent, making a few humorous suggestions.
—Jeff A. Chamer, Charlotte Observer, 28 Mar. 2024
Running modern and cutting-edge games at 3K will be strenuous, though, so expect to dial down the resolution or settings in these games.
—PCMAG, 27 Mar. 2024
The witness dialed 911 as the attacker walked toward his locked front door.
—Kathleen Foody, arkansasonline.com, 29 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dial.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to dial
Dictionary Entries Near dial
Cite this Entry
“Dial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dial. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dial
1 of 2 noun
di·al
ˈdī(-ə)l 
1
a
: sundial
b
: the face of a watch or clock
2
a
: a face or scale on which some measurement is registered usually by means of numbers and a pointer
the thermometer dial reads 60°
b
: a disk usually with a knob or slots that may be turned to make electrical connections (as on a telephone) or to regulate the operation of a device (as a radio)
dial
2 of 2 verb
dialed or dialled; dialing or dialling
1
: to turn a dial so as to operate, regulate, or select
2
: to make a telephone call or connection
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