as in dialing
to make a telephone call to
she phoned her friend to invite her over for dinner
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Recent Examples of phoning
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
But phoning in sick isn’t going to be an option.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 13 Aug. 2025
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
But phoning in sick isn’t going to be an option.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phoning
Verb
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Perhaps that’ll mean dialing up more shots to take the top off the Bills’ passing game, as Buffalo will be down a notable piece in starting safety Jordan Poyer (hamstring injury).—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
16 Jan. 2026
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The possibility for things to go sideways dialing wind while hunting is even greater.—
John B. Snow,
Outdoor Life,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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At least 100 demonstrators gathered in New York City's Federal Plaza in the rain Saturday afternoon to condemn the shooting, calling for justice for Good's family and the abolishment of ICE.—
Kristie Keleshian,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
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Several minutes later, officers responded to a report of a man calling for help near Northeast 146th Avenue and East Burnside after being shot.—
Taylor Romine,
CNN Money,
10 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Phoning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phoning. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
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