on the phone
idiom
1
: using a telephone to talk to someone
Can you see who's at the door? I'm on the phone.
I was on the phone with my sister until late last night.
2
British
: connected to a telephone system
How many households aren't on the phone?
Examples of on the phone in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
With 70 miles between us, Kirk wanted to have daily phone calls to keep in touch, but as someone who despises talking on the phone, this was a true test of our relationship.
—
Holly Yeo, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2024
But talking on the phone is not the same in prison.
—TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
The man was reportedly working underneath the recreational vehicle when the RV fell, Coweta County Coroner Richard Hawk told McClatchy News on the phone.
—Tanasia Kenney, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2024
Wingstop Celebrating National Chicken Sandwich Day with Free Sandwich Deal
The employee on the phone sounded baffled after there was a lull in the phone call.
—Antonia Debianchi, Peoplemag, 15 Apr. 2024
On Saturday, May 28, 2022, Dylan spoke with his grandmother on the phone from the farm.
—Kyani Reid, NBC News, 10 Apr. 2024
Her visit also came days after Biden and Xi spoke on the phone last week, in the first conversation between the two since their in-person summit in San Fransisco in November.
—Nectar Gan, CNN, 8 Apr. 2024
Honda recommends keeping the basic settings on the phone and pointing the camera toward the sun and moon during totality.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 5 Apr. 2024
Jack, talking on the phone with 911 dispatchers, threw his phone on the ground as Elena pushed.
—Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 5 Apr. 2024
Holly Yeo, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2024
But talking on the phone is not the same in prison.
—TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
The man was reportedly working underneath the recreational vehicle when the RV fell, Coweta County Coroner Richard Hawk told McClatchy News on the phone.
—Tanasia Kenney, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2024
Wingstop Celebrating National Chicken Sandwich Day with Free Sandwich Deal
The employee on the phone sounded baffled after there was a lull in the phone call.
—Antonia Debianchi, Peoplemag, 15 Apr. 2024
On Saturday, May 28, 2022, Dylan spoke with his grandmother on the phone from the farm.
—Kyani Reid, NBC News, 10 Apr. 2024
Her visit also came days after Biden and Xi spoke on the phone last week, in the first conversation between the two since their in-person summit in San Fransisco in November.
—Nectar Gan, CNN, 8 Apr. 2024
Honda recommends keeping the basic settings on the phone and pointing the camera toward the sun and moon during totality.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 5 Apr. 2024
Jack, talking on the phone with 911 dispatchers, threw his phone on the ground as Elena pushed.
—Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 5 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'on the phone.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near on the phone
Cite this Entry
“On the phone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20the%20phone. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
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