on the phone
idiom
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 couple’s granddaughter had been on the phone with Terry at the time and heard him being shot, per the outlet.
—
Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 27 Dec. 2025
With a 911 operator on the phone, the man walked back up front to ask the bus driver to tell them what happened.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 26 Dec. 2025
Jackson was on the phone during a stay at a state psychiatric hospital.
—Sarah Jane Tribble, NPR, 22 Dec. 2025
The next day, Henry and Heather spoke on the phone for the first time.
—Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for on the phone
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Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 27 Dec. 2025
With a 911 operator on the phone, the man walked back up front to ask the bus driver to tell them what happened.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 26 Dec. 2025
Jackson was on the phone during a stay at a state psychiatric hospital.
—Sarah Jane Tribble, NPR, 22 Dec. 2025
The next day, Henry and Heather spoke on the phone for the first time.
—Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for on the phone
Cite this Entry
“On the phone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20the%20phone. Accessed 6 Jan. 2026.
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