telephone

1 of 2

verb

telephoned; telephoning

transitive verb

1

: to speak to or attempt to reach by telephone

2

: to send by telephone

intransitive verb

: to communicate by telephone

telephoner noun

telephoner

2 of 2

noun

tel·​e·​phon·​er

-nə(r)

plural -s

: one that telephones

Synonyms of telephone

Verb

• dial
• call
• phone

Examples of telephone in a Sentence

Verb

He telephoned me to say that he was going to be late.

He telephoned to say that he was going to be late.

You never write or telephone.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Albert telephoned Breen right after. —Andrew Marchand, New York Times, 29 May 2026

Visitors will have to telephone upon arrival so residents can escort them in. —Anne Kadet, Curbed, 17 Apr. 2026

At one point, Trump telephoned Speaker Johnson, who urged the president not to sign the order for moral reasons and to protect American children from the harms of drugs. —Will Yakowicz, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2026

Uncle Vernon had telephoned the police on more than one occasion. —Literary Hub, 13 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1877, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing telephone

• cellular telephone
• down the telephone
• French telephone
• on the telephone
• screen one's (telephone/phone) calls
• telephone book
• telephone booth
• telephone box
• telephone directory
• telephone number
• telephone pole
• telephone tag
• wireless telephone

Rhymes for telephone

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

Kids Definition

telephone

1 of 2 noun

tele·​phone ˈtel-ə-ˌfōn 

: any of several devices for transmitting and receiving sounds over long distances by electricity

telephone

2 of 2 verb

telephoned; telephoning

1

: to communicate by telephone

2

: to send by telephone

3

: to speak to by telephone