as in dialing
to make a telephone call to
she phoned her friend to invite her over for dinner
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of phoning
Three characters spend the novel sadly phoning figures who never appear—in Stella’s case, her absent mother (which may explain why Bainbridge sometimes put her own mother in her story about the germination of the book).
—
Christopher Tayler, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Advertisement The academics’ calculation began with the informal survey done by a Tehran physician quoted by TIME after phoning six hospitals on Friday to asking how many dead protesters each had.
—Karl Vick, Time, 12 Jan. 2026
Just a bunch of celebs phoning it in.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Jan. 2026
At the time, the spacecraft was orbiting behind Mars, so the signal loss was routine and expected, as Mars always blocks MAVEN from phoning home during the maneuver.
—Denise Chow, NBC news, 3 Jan. 2026
Then, notify the FDA’s MedWatch program, either online or by phoning call 800-332-1088 for a form to fax.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 16 Dec. 2025
The Bruins were not phoning in the finale of a lost season, as evidenced by Iamaleava's decision to play despite dealing with neck spasms all week.
—CBS News, 30 Nov. 2025
On July 14, Kyle Smith, 26, visited his stepfather's home in the area of Loop 101 and Seventh Street in north Phoenix before phoning his wife, Elda Diaz, that evening, according to the family.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 13 Nov. 2025
Though there’s a long and understandable tradition of chefs phoning in the breakfast shift and focusing their energy on dinner, this year was dominated by restaurants approaching the morning meal with excitement and creativity.
—Bon Appétit Staff & Contributors, Bon Appetit Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
Christopher Tayler, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Advertisement The academics’ calculation began with the informal survey done by a Tehran physician quoted by TIME after phoning six hospitals on Friday to asking how many dead protesters each had.
—Karl Vick, Time, 12 Jan. 2026
Just a bunch of celebs phoning it in.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Jan. 2026
At the time, the spacecraft was orbiting behind Mars, so the signal loss was routine and expected, as Mars always blocks MAVEN from phoning home during the maneuver.
—Denise Chow, NBC news, 3 Jan. 2026
Then, notify the FDA’s MedWatch program, either online or by phoning call 800-332-1088 for a form to fax.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 16 Dec. 2025
The Bruins were not phoning in the finale of a lost season, as evidenced by Iamaleava's decision to play despite dealing with neck spasms all week.
—CBS News, 30 Nov. 2025
On July 14, Kyle Smith, 26, visited his stepfather's home in the area of Loop 101 and Seventh Street in north Phoenix before phoning his wife, Elda Diaz, that evening, according to the family.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 13 Nov. 2025
Though there’s a long and understandable tradition of chefs phoning in the breakfast shift and focusing their energy on dinner, this year was dominated by restaurants approaching the morning meal with excitement and creativity.
—Bon Appétit Staff & Contributors, Bon Appetit Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phoning
Verb
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More companies are dialing back flexible work schedules and mandating that employees return to the office part-time or full-time, forcing women into tough situations.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
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Those looking to file police reports are asked to contact the department's non-emergency phone number by dialing 311 or (317) 327-3811.—
Jen Guadarrama,
IndyStar,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Shortly after the post was made, activists in the predominantly Hispanic community quickly began sharing the post and calling for action to be taken against the teacher, who Fox News Digital is not naming due to safety concerns.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
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The Giants also switched back and forth between Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka calling plays at various points.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Phoning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phoning. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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