burner phone

noun

: a prepaid cell phone that is not bound to a contract with a carrier (see carrier sense 7b) and is usually intended to be disposed of after use
She said he returned a short time later, got a lot of cash, then left again with the drugs and money after talking to an unidentified person on a burner phone.Kurt Helin

called also burner

Examples of burner phone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
As an example, Canadian companies are now advising executives traveling to the U.S. to take burner phones instead of their usual mobiles. Alex Ledsom, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025 The European Union has begun to issue its U.S.-bound officials burner phones, for fear of surveillance, the Financial Times reported. Arkansas Online, 20 Apr. 2025 Jason eventually met his demise at the hands of Malvado (Jimmy Gonzales), a hitman whom Bailey had communicated with on a burner phone. Max Gao, Variety, 19 Feb. 2025 Canadians are not the only people being urged to travel with burner phones. Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for burner phone

Word History

First Known Use

1996, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of burner phone was in 1996

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Cite this Entry

“Burner phone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/burner%20phone. Accessed 5 May. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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