dial tone

noun

: a tone emitted by a telephone as a signal that the system is ready for dialing

Examples of dial tone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Calls to police precincts Tuesday evening dropped without a dial tone. — Dillon Mullan, Baltimore Sun, 26 June 2024 Barrymore, however, wasn’t surprised by the dial tone. — Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Oct. 2025 There is often a scene of the author waiting patiently, against the dial tone, to sign in to AOL. — Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 9 Apr. 2025 Veteran apartment gropers know enough to commandeer every working telephone booth in the area using friends who listen to dial tones and weather reports for an hour before the newspapers arrive. — Nicholas Pileggi, Curbed, 15 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dial tone

Word History

First Known Use

1923, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dial tone was in 1923

Rhymes for dial tone

See All Rhymes for dial tone

Browse Nearby Words

dial telephone
dial tone
dial-up
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dial tone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dial%20tone. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on dial tone

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dial tone

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