phoning

present participle of phone
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

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 phoning The receptionist, who refused to give his name, recalled phoning Oakland police at least 10 times in the last six months to report prostitution and trafficking among hotel guests, and said other staff have called dozens of additional times. Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 25 June 2026 There’s a difference, in other words, between doing the work, and phoning it in, just putting in a basic prompt and letting AI come up with, well, whatever. John Werner, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026 Trump had lobbied for the plan, making at least two phone calls to Republican state Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey and also phoning in to a private meeting of Republican senators earlier this month. Kim Chandler, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2026 Mom was right — phoning it in should never be on the table. Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 13 May 2026 My sister, Louise, had spent hours perfecting the screechy, imperious cry of Starscream, only to use it when phoning the takeaway and ordering curry sauce and chips. Douglas Stuart, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2026 Efforts to reach Das and Cooper — including by phoning numbers and sending letters to addresses that appeared to be associated with them — were unsuccessful. David Hilzenrath, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2026 Elordi is barely phoning it in. Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026 Toilet plumbing problems, email glitches and issues phoning home. Rufina Chow, NBC news, 3 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phoning
Verb
  • Advertisement No legitimate bank is ever harmed by you hanging up and dialing the number on the back of your card, and none will ever ask you to read a verification code back to them.
    Ryan Pettit, Time, 7 July 2026
  • At Dave & Buster's Times Square location in New York City, general manager Steve Friedl and his team are dialing up the energy to create the ultimate holiday memories.
    Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
Verb
  • The day before his team played in a World Cup semifinal, France coach Didier Deschamps tried shifting the pressure by calling his opponent, Spain, the favorite to win the tournament.
    Andrew Greif, NBC news, 14 July 2026
  • Prosecutors at the first trial argued that Dominguez was angry and spiraling at the time of the killings, calling the attacks a deliberate act of violence.
    Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Phoning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phoning. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

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