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
Find more information here about how to request replacements online, in-person, on the phone or via mail.
—
Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Ben Meiselas is pacing in front of his home in the foothills of the Verdugo Mountains in Los Angeles, talking on the phone with one hand, a Starbucks coffee cup in the other.
—Bobby Allyn, NPR, 14 Aug. 2025
Since the initial reports, Van Hoose has spent her days on the phone, talking to reporters clamoring for information about the rabbit papillomavirus.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 14 Aug. 2025
The family member requested the check after the two spoke on the phone and Lewis, the family member said, was behaving strangely during the call, the Anchorage Daily News and KDLL reported, citing the affidavit.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, People.com, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for on the phone
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Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Ben Meiselas is pacing in front of his home in the foothills of the Verdugo Mountains in Los Angeles, talking on the phone with one hand, a Starbucks coffee cup in the other.
—Bobby Allyn, NPR, 14 Aug. 2025
Since the initial reports, Van Hoose has spent her days on the phone, talking to reporters clamoring for information about the rabbit papillomavirus.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 14 Aug. 2025
The family member requested the check after the two spoke on the phone and Lewis, the family member said, was behaving strangely during the call, the Anchorage Daily News and KDLL reported, citing the affidavit.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, People.com, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for 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 21 Aug. 2025.
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