on the phone

phrase

1

: using a telephone to talk to someone

Can you see who's at the door? I'm on the phone.

I was on the phone with my sister until late last night.

2

British : connected to a telephone system

How many households aren't on the phone?

Examples of on the phone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The First World War did cause the telephone industry to be nationalized for a year, but this didn’t make much difference for users, notwithstanding a decree in Indiana that banned speaking German on the phone. — Cal Revely-Calder, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026

Carmen, who talked to her daughter on the phone about three times a week, said the child was struggling. — CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026

While on the phone Wednesday morning, one staffer watched a city trash can float by. — Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026

But to coordinate a final handoff, couriers often call customers on the phone to meet up — a hurdle for workers who are deaf or hard of hearing. — Zoë Schiffer, semafor.com, 28 Oct. 2026

Rhymes for on the phone

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