telephone tag
noun
: telephoning back and forth by parties trying to reach each other without success
Examples of telephone tag in a Sentence
We've been playing telephone tag—she's always out when I call, and vice versa.
Recent Examples on the Web
Finally, the game of telephone tag ended.
—
Justin Fenton, baltimoresun.com, 9 Aug. 2021
Remember telephone tag?
—Sally Schwartz, chicagotribune.com, 10 May 2021
Not that there aren’t plenty of excuses for slipping up, given the immensity of the task and its attendant glitches – the outdated lists, the telephone tag, the last-minute head-count changes.
—Mary Beth McCauley, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Nov. 2019
Justin Fenton, baltimoresun.com, 9 Aug. 2021
Remember telephone tag?
—Sally Schwartz, chicagotribune.com, 10 May 2021
Not that there aren’t plenty of excuses for slipping up, given the immensity of the task and its attendant glitches – the outdated lists, the telephone tag, the last-minute head-count changes.
—Mary Beth McCauley, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Nov. 2019
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'telephone tag.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1969, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near telephone tag
Cite this Entry
“Telephone tag.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/telephone%20tag. Accessed 30 Nov. 2023.
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