telephone

verb

Definition of telephonenext
as in to dial
to make a telephone call to I'll try to telephone the office and make an appointment today

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 telephone Uncle Vernon had telephoned the police on more than one occasion. — Literary Hub, 13 Mar. 2026 Or telephone them at 202-772-5600. — Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 12 Feb. 2026 At around lunchtime, the editor of the East African Standard telephoned the princess's secretary, Martin Charteris at the Outspan Hotel, which serves as a base for visiting Treetops, to ask if reports of King George VI's death were true. — Hope Coke, Vanity Fair, 7 Feb. 2026 Trump, who plans to visit Beijing next year for trade talks, telephoned Takaichi last month, urging her not to escalate the dispute, people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. — CNN Money, 7 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for telephone
Recent Examples of Synonyms for telephone
  1. dial
  2. call
  3. phone
Verb
  • Lester, in particular, saw enough growth from Brown and Hecklinski as Gronowski’s understudies to prefer their full-scale competition over grabbing an experienced quarterback but dialing down the offense.
    — Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 24 July 2026
  • The current release will only keep the market supplied for a few months, maybe until the end of the year if releases are dialed back.
    — Justin Zacks, CNBC, 23 July 2026
Definition of dial
Verb
  • Johnny then becomes bonded to a supernatural demon called the Spirit of Vengeance and is able to transform into a flaming, skeletal biker.
    — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 26 July 2026
  • Josh Smead runs an architecture business called Liberty Design Development with his wife and hails from Liberty.
    — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 26 July 2026
Definition of call
Verb
  • The Hollywood Reporter phoned the number listed on the Summit Malibu website, and a rep identifying themselves as the facility’s program director declined to provide any comments.
    — Gustavo Turner, HollywoodReporter, 24 July 2026
  • Although there have been nights where the bullpen strung together scoreless innings, Hinch has not been able to phone down to the bullpen with confidence.
    — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 15 July 2026
Definition of phone

Browse Nearby Words

telepathy
telephone
telephoned
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Telephone.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/telephone. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on telephone

Nglish: Translation of telephone for Spanish Speakers

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