on the telephone
idiom
1
: using a telephone to talk to someone
He came to the door while I was on the telephone.
2
British
: connected to a telephone system
the percentage of households on the telephone
Examples of on the telephone in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The basics: Always use headphones when listening to electronic devices, speak in low tones when on the telephone or having a conversation in a crowded space, and do not allow your children to run totally out of control.
—
Jenny Peters, Oc Register, 4 Aug. 2025
During the episode, President Garrison insults a world leader on the telephone in the White House while his advisers discuss low approval ratings.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 25 July 2025
By filming Mullin speaking to his performance coach about his axing in a coffee shop as Palmer chats to his father, Andy, on the telephone, the producers got far more than would surely have been the case with a more formal interview to camera.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 27 June 2025
Getting a customer service agent on the telephone can take a while.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for on the telephone
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Jenny Peters, Oc Register, 4 Aug. 2025
During the episode, President Garrison insults a world leader on the telephone in the White House while his advisers discuss low approval ratings.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 25 July 2025
By filming Mullin speaking to his performance coach about his axing in a coffee shop as Palmer chats to his father, Andy, on the telephone, the producers got far more than would surely have been the case with a more formal interview to camera.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 27 June 2025
Getting a customer service agent on the telephone can take a while.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for on the telephone
Cite this Entry
“On the telephone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20the%20telephone. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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