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
An Indian American engineer says he was fired last year from his long-time job with a Huntsville missile defense contractor after he was heard speaking Hindi on the telephone.
—
Roy S. Johnson | Rjohnson@al.com, al, 31 July 2023
In Fodor’s, a mongoose voiced by Neil Gaiman calls him on the telephone.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 19 July 2023
In the immediate aftermath, when photos surfaced showing a distraught Baldwin on the telephone and hunched over outside the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office, many offered support.
—Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2021
There was an almost indescribable aura with both him and the music, a regal perch that shines through Instagram photos and brief conversations on the telephone.
—Marcus J. Moore, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2022
And Ridley no doubt heard what Whan had to say Wednesday, if the two have not already discussed the issue on the telephone.
—New York Times, 15 June 2022
Meet people who absolutely hate talking on the telephone.
—Shira Ovide, Washington Post, 13 Dec. 2022
There were the friends who used to visit, but were suddenly just voices on the telephone.
—New York Times, 20 Apr. 2022
Murphy completed a casting application online and then spoke with a casting representative on the telephone and submitted videos to get the audition.
—Cheryl V. Jackson, The Indianapolis Star, 23 June 2021
See More
Roy S. Johnson | Rjohnson@al.com, al, 31 July 2023
In Fodor’s, a mongoose voiced by Neil Gaiman calls him on the telephone.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 19 July 2023
In the immediate aftermath, when photos surfaced showing a distraught Baldwin on the telephone and hunched over outside the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office, many offered support.
—Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2021
There was an almost indescribable aura with both him and the music, a regal perch that shines through Instagram photos and brief conversations on the telephone.
—Marcus J. Moore, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2022
And Ridley no doubt heard what Whan had to say Wednesday, if the two have not already discussed the issue on the telephone.
—New York Times, 15 June 2022
Meet people who absolutely hate talking on the telephone.
—Shira Ovide, Washington Post, 13 Dec. 2022
There were the friends who used to visit, but were suddenly just voices on the telephone.
—New York Times, 20 Apr. 2022
Murphy completed a casting application online and then spoke with a casting representative on the telephone and submitted videos to get the audition.
—Cheryl V. Jackson, The Indianapolis Star, 23 June 2021
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'on the telephone.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near 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 2 Oct. 2023.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share