dial

verb

dialed or dialled; dialing or dialling

transitive verb

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

intransitive verb

1

: to manipulate a dial

2

: to make a telephone call or connection

Synonyms of dial

• call
• phone
• telephone

Examples of dial in a Sentence

I'm sorry. I must have dialed the wrong number.

dialed 911 and asked for the police

Recent Examples on the Web

The Guthrie family is urging anyone with information to dial 1-800-CALL-FBI. —Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 2 June 2026

Customer service protocols also changed so that phone calls to the Social Security Administration were routed to field offices the callers hadn’t dialed, where staff couldn’t help them. —Katie Savin, Fortune, 2 June 2026

Leaning into ‘Old Tahoe’ Gildred’s renovation follows a design approach that treats the compound like a boutique resort — not by going glossy, but by dialing in materials, color and detail in a way meant to echo Tahoe’s classic lakefront era. —David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 1 June 2026

Still, Chris Gabaldon, CEO of Moët Hennessy North America, is optimistic that the company’s premium brands — including Belvedere vodka, Glenmorangie Scotch and Dom Pérignon Champagne — are well positioned even as consumers dial back drinking. —Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 1 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1653, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing dial

• butt-dial
• dial tone
• dial-up
• don't touch that dial
• speed dial

Rhymes for dial

• denial
• mistrial
• posttrial
• pretrial
• retrial
• rial
• thiol
• trial
• vial
• sensorial

Kids 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