as in calls
to make a telephone call to
dialed 911 and asked for the police
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 dials
Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 28 Apr. 2026
Should both signal paths somehow fail the system is packaged with Mercedes rear-wheel steer option, which dials in up to 10 degrees of rear wheel steering input, and a third input will kick in to control the rear-wheel steering to enable the driver to pull over slowly.
—Joel Feder, The Drive, 2 Apr. 2026
From there, the series dials back to 1988 to the tiny seaport town of Grimsby, several hours north of London.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026
The Trojans are using the roughly two weeks in between the conference tournament loss and the beginning of the NCAA Tournament to rebuild their competitive drive before shifting into a mindset that dials in on the Tigers.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 16 Mar. 2026
Chef Alejandro Crespo has created a menu that dials up traditional tapas.
—Liz Provencher, Travel + Leisure, 9 Jan. 2026
Trump administration dials back vaccine recommendations Public health experts recommend that everyone 6 months and older get an annual influenza vaccine.
—Mike Stobbe, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
This new installment in the film franchise based on the bestselling YA book series by Suzanne Collins again dials things back, this time looking at Haymitch Abernathy’s origins.
—Dan Heching, CNN Money, 5 Jan. 2026
When House frantically dials up the device, the man’s head explodes in a mess of gooey, gory innards.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Dec. 2025
Verb
The complementary conditioner dials up the moisture with shea butter, murumuru butter, and amino acids to smooth and strengthen—leaving hair soft, bouncy, and ready for styling.
—Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 28 Apr. 2026
Should both signal paths somehow fail the system is packaged with Mercedes rear-wheel steer option, which dials in up to 10 degrees of rear wheel steering input, and a third input will kick in to control the rear-wheel steering to enable the driver to pull over slowly.
—Joel Feder, The Drive, 2 Apr. 2026
From there, the series dials back to 1988 to the tiny seaport town of Grimsby, several hours north of London.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026
The Trojans are using the roughly two weeks in between the conference tournament loss and the beginning of the NCAA Tournament to rebuild their competitive drive before shifting into a mindset that dials in on the Tigers.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 16 Mar. 2026
Chef Alejandro Crespo has created a menu that dials up traditional tapas.
—Liz Provencher, Travel + Leisure, 9 Jan. 2026
Trump administration dials back vaccine recommendations Public health experts recommend that everyone 6 months and older get an annual influenza vaccine.
—Mike Stobbe, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
This new installment in the film franchise based on the bestselling YA book series by Suzanne Collins again dials things back, this time looking at Haymitch Abernathy’s origins.
—Dan Heching, CNN Money, 5 Jan. 2026
When House frantically dials up the device, the man’s head explodes in a mess of gooey, gory innards.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dials
Verb
-
Israel calls itself a Jewish state.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
-
The legislation won approval on a party-line vote after four hours of fiery debate during which Black legislators said the moment calls back to the state’s shameful Jim Crow-era history.—
David A. Lieb,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
Are Americans customers asking you for more buttons and knobs?—
Morgan Korn,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
-
Swap out old knobs and handles for brass ones to add a sophisticated, elegant touch.—
Farima Ferguson,
The Spruce,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
To complete her dramatic look, Osaka’s hands were dipped in dripping red paint.—
Beatrice Dupuy,
Chicago Tribune,
5 May 2026
-
The Lakers should put Marcus Smart in the corner as much as possible if Smart doesn’t have the ball in his hands; the difference between Smart as a corner 3-point shooter and Smart as a threat above-the-break is vast.—
Law Murray,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
These buttons require the press of a button to start cooking or heating something quickly.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Long-pressing these buttons will keep the tonearm moving beyond the presets – stopping a little after button release to lower the stylus.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In the movie, Yetnikoff phones up MTV CEO Bob Pittman and starts screaming at him.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Our one peek into it comes when Darren phones Evy to pressure her to ditch her mom and come to a party.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
However, if recent debates are any indicators, this one could also become a showdown among the Democrat candidates calling out each other.—
Paris Barraza,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
-
In fact, there are some indicators that suggest that attitudes toward Jews are improving.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
Stock indexes in Taiwan, South Korea and Japan have clinched fresh records in recent trading sessions, bouncing back after tumbling in March.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
7 May 2026
-
In stock markets abroad, indexes fell in Europe following a stronger finish in Asia.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
Every chat with Claude or GPT runs on the same underlying machinery that calculates spreadsheet totals and renders video games—silicon wafers etched with billions of microscopic switches, organized into specialized processors.—
Deni Ellis Béchard,
Scientific American,
1 May 2026
-
Burick and one of his students assemble the base for one of ENIAC’s three portable function tables, which contained banks of switches that stored numerical constants.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dials.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dials. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
