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

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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.
So who’s this cheerful soul on the phone? Lawrence Toppman, Charlotte Observer, 17 Sep. 2025 Let bisexuals hold hands and talk to their little gay boyfriends on the phone under the covers. Catherine Mhloyi, Them., 15 Sep. 2025 The festival director rushes back and forth, talking on the phone. Sara Stridsberg september 15, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2025 Jeff Kohler, who was patrolling in the area, responded to the scene to find the mother on the phone with Yuba City Police Department dispatchers, who were giving her emergency medical instructions. Michael McGough, Sacbee.com, 13 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for on the phone

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Cite this Entry

“On the phone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20the%20phone. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.

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