dial-up
adjective
: relating to or being a standard telephone line used for computer communications
also
: accessible via a standard telephone line
a dial-up Internet provider
Examples of dial-up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Anyone who’s old enough to remember dial-up internet may suffer flashbacks trying to get on to some Delta 8 THC websites.
—
Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
Think of it like upgrading from dial-up modem speeds to broadband speeds.
—Billal Hammoud, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
The first wave came ashore in the 1990s with the arrival of dial-up internet access, which made personal computers good for something beyond word processing and basic games.
—Jonathan Haidt, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2024
The shrill drone of dial-up is a defining feature of Kyle Mooney’s directorial debut Y2K, even if the actual sound plays only a few times throughout the comedian’s brash and lopsided film.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024
The film opens on the ancient stone-cutter image of an AOL screen, with that dial-up feedback sound, the primitive email, and a video feed (of Bill Clinton) coming into view through a brief haze of pixels.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 Mar. 2024
The hum of a tiger mosquito B. Static from an AOL dial-up connection
C. Glass splintering in an explosion
D.
—Craigh Barboza, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Feb. 2024
The theatrics of it all enough to inspire Jenner to dial-up her own powers of seduction.
—Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 26 Jan. 2024
The charming drone of a dial-up tone has been replaced by Slack pings, text message buzzes and an iPhone alarm designed to activate our fight or flight senses.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Jan. 2024
Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
Think of it like upgrading from dial-up modem speeds to broadband speeds.
—Billal Hammoud, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
The first wave came ashore in the 1990s with the arrival of dial-up internet access, which made personal computers good for something beyond word processing and basic games.
—Jonathan Haidt, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2024
The shrill drone of dial-up is a defining feature of Kyle Mooney’s directorial debut Y2K, even if the actual sound plays only a few times throughout the comedian’s brash and lopsided film.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024
The film opens on the ancient stone-cutter image of an AOL screen, with that dial-up feedback sound, the primitive email, and a video feed (of Bill Clinton) coming into view through a brief haze of pixels.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 Mar. 2024
The hum of a tiger mosquito B. Static from an AOL dial-up connection
C. Glass splintering in an explosion
D.
—Craigh Barboza, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Feb. 2024
The theatrics of it all enough to inspire Jenner to dial-up her own powers of seduction.
—Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 26 Jan. 2024
The charming drone of a dial-up tone has been replaced by Slack pings, text message buzzes and an iPhone alarm designed to activate our fight or flight senses.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dial-up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1960, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near dial-up
Cite this Entry
“Dial-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dial-up. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
dial-up
adjectiveˈdī(-ə)l-ˌəp
: relating to or done using an ordinary telephone line
dial-up Internet access
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