1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

dial 1 of 2

verb

Definition of dialnext
as in to call
to make a telephone call to dialed 911 and asked for the police

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

dial

2 of 2

noun

1
as in gauge

Related Words
2
as in knob

Related Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dial
Verb
In 2023, Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also introduced a WhatsApp messaging service that helps individuals book appointments without having to dial the general hotline. — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026 The Chiefs were at practice last week, working on their fourth-down offense, when Andy Reid dialed up a play for Kenneth Walker. — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 16 Sep. 2026
Noun
There must be a reason that after the Chiefs finished 6-11 after three straight trips to the Super Bowl that Reid decided to turn up the dial in camp. — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 14 Sep. 2026 Developed in partnership with the UK’s national standards body, the British Standards Institution, and mental health charity Chasing the Stigma, the toolkit aims to shift the dial from awareness to meaningful support. — Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dial
  1. call
  2. gauge
  3. knob
  4. phone
  5. face
  6. lever
  7. telephone
  8. index
Verb
  • Rays Hall of Famer Carl Crawford was a three-time winner of the award — formally called the Don Zimmer MVP award and presented by the Tampa Bay chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
    — Marc Topkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Sep. 2026
  • For years, Illinois ran a tax-credit scholarship program of its own called Invest in Kids.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of call
Noun
  • Started by linebacker Jordyn Brooks, the three-takeaway rule has transformed into a weekly gauge in how the defense performs.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Options volume in the VIX has been above average for almost a week as the gauge climbed to just over 18 at its high last Thursday.
    — Oliver Renick, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of gauge
Noun
  • The resistance knob on a spin bike gives you a continuous, private metric of effort.
    — Dan Rockmore, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Original moldings, door knobs, and wood paneling have been preserved, but spaces have been shaped for contemporary use including made disabled-accessible.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of knob
Verb
  • The president phoned the co-founder of the chipmaker on Monday during an interview Huang was having for a podcast.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2026
  • So the publicists for writers, theaters, and museums kept writing and phoning, even offering to fly her back to New York to see this or that, once or twice mentioning a free trip to Europe.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of phone
Noun
  • The witness said Melton hit the victim in the face with a closed fist, the report says.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026
  • On a map, Newfoundland is a vast, asymmetrical island, cloven by bays and inlets, semi-detached to appendages of land deformed by ancient glaciers scraping over it, leaving glacial striations, grooves and gouges on its granite face.
    — Paul Theroux, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of face
Noun
  • The one who sees it as a growth lever will create employment not as charity, but as the natural byproduct of building a bigger business.
    — Sumeet Salwan, Forbes.com, 22 Sep. 2026
  • That's when one of the men in the group and the juvenile charged pulled the emergency lever, opened the sliding doors and pushed him off the train.
    — Marissa Sulek, CBS News, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of lever
Verb
  • So Parker telephoned the base posing as the doctor of Adams’ supposedly ailing mother and talked the young soldier’s superiors into issuing an emergency furlough.
    — Dan Kelly July 28, Kansas City Star, 28 July 2026
  • The average taxpayer who telephoned the IRS during tax season this year spent 14 minutes on hold, the advocate reports.
    — Daniel de Visé, USA Today, 27 June 2026
Definition of telephone
Noun
  • Another option for you is to maintain an equity portfolio based on several index funds which have a very good history and a low average annual fee.
    — Elliot Raphaelson, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Pokémon card prices have surged 1,350% since 2020, according to an index compiled by Collectors, which owns card grading agency Professional Sports Authenticator, CNBC previously reported.
    — Jenny Lee, CNBC, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of index

Browse Nearby Words

diagrams
dial
dialect
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dial. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 25
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of the words cracker fly and sale arranged in a triangle with the word fire in the middle
Triple Play Quiz Find the word that pairs with each of the three g...
See All