hotline

noun

hot·​line ˈhät-ˌlīn How to pronounce hotline (audio)
variants or less commonly hot line
plural hotlines also hot lines
1
: a usually toll-free telephone service available to the public or to a group of people for some specific purpose
a suicide prevention hotline
His take reached a total of more than $10,000, but the scam was undone when an alert co-worker noticed it and phoned an employee-theft hotline to report it.David J. Solomon
2
: a direct telephone line in constant operational readiness so as to facilitate immediate communication
John Sullivan told the independent news outlet Novaya Gazeta that an emergency hotline between Washington and Moscow, set up in the Cold War … , was still in existence.Reuters.com
When the Milwaukee Bucks made the emotional decision not to take the court for Game 5 of the playoffs, there was a hotline between the locker room and the NBPA [National Basketball Players Association], with [NBPA head Michele] Roberts counselling the players on the other end of that line.Don Riddell

Examples of hotline 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.
The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages. Becca Longmire, People.com, 27 Nov. 2024 One day, a neighbor was reporting a problem bear to the state’s wildlife hotline and mentioned that Miller may want help, too. Paige Williams, The New Yorker, 25 Nov. 2024 In the coming weeks, the county is releasing outreach literature to further publicize the new hotline. Robert Salonga, The Mercury News, 24 Nov. 2024 At a press conference, Coleman said his office's election fraud hotline received more than 700 calls about possible law violations during the 2024 general election. Hannah Pinski, The Courier-Journal, 21 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hotline 

Word History

First Known Use

1954, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of hotline was in 1954

Dictionary Entries Near hotline

Cite this Entry

“Hotline.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hotline. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

hotline

noun
hot·​line ˈhät-ˌlīn How to pronounce hotline (audio)
: a telephone line for direct emergency use (as between heads of governments or to a counseling service)

Medical Definition

hotline

noun
hot·​line
variants also hot line
: a usually toll-free telephone service available to the public for some specific purpose (as to receive advice or information about a particular subject or to talk confidentially about personal problems to a sympathetic listener)
a poison control hotline
suicide prevention hotlines
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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