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

While no evidence pointed to the ex-boyfriend as the killer, digital forensics instead linked the fake email accounts the stalker used to Daniel's workplace as well as burner phones purchased with a gift card registered to his name. —Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2025

The case, which initially appeared to be the tragic end to a stalking situation, revealed how Daniel thoroughly created a false narrative using burner phones and carefully planned digital deception, all while playing the role of a concerned husband. —Doc Louallen, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2025

So, a fledgling unit of the service set out six months ago to unmask the layers of burner phones, changing phone numbers and SIM cards swatting American officials. —John Miller, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2025

After meeting up with Nazir, Betro purchased a burner phone and a Mercedes as a getaway car, using the alias Becky Booth, per the Crown Prosecution Service. —Ben Brachfeld, People.com, 13 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1996, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for burner phone

• acetone
• anglophone
• baritone
• bourguignon
• buspirone
• chaperon
• chaperone
• cobblestone
• collarbone
• cornerstone
• cortisone
• dictaphone