answering machine
noun
: a machine that receives telephone calls by playing a recorded message and usually by recording messages from callers
Examples of answering machine in a Sentence
I haven't spoken to him yet, but he left a message on my answering machine.
Recent Examples on the Web
My mom telling me [on the answering machine] to 'pick up, pick up' because my grandpa had had a heart attack.
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Elizabeth Leonard, Peoplemag, 14 Aug. 2024
Using a trove of letters, photos, VHS tapes, Super 8 movies, and even answering machine messages, Caouette sifts through past trauma to better understand his mother, Renee, who has long struggled with mental illness in the wake of electroshock therapy.
—Indiewire Staff, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2024
Jarvis agreed to press charges, and the family’s answering machine filled up with messages consisting of nothing but loud barking.
—Rachel Monroe, The New Yorker, 21 June 2024
As a reporter was leaving a message on her answering machine, O’Dell picked up.
—Jon Schuppe, NBC News, 14 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for answering machine 
Elizabeth Leonard, Peoplemag, 14 Aug. 2024
Using a trove of letters, photos, VHS tapes, Super 8 movies, and even answering machine messages, Caouette sifts through past trauma to better understand his mother, Renee, who has long struggled with mental illness in the wake of electroshock therapy.
—Indiewire Staff, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2024
Jarvis agreed to press charges, and the family’s answering machine filled up with messages consisting of nothing but loud barking.
—Rachel Monroe, The New Yorker, 21 June 2024
As a reporter was leaving a message on her answering machine, O’Dell picked up.
—Jon Schuppe, NBC News, 14 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for answering machine
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'answering machine.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Answering machine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/answering%20machine. Accessed 29 Sep. 2024.
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