put down the phone
idiom
British
: to end a telephone connection
She said goodbye and put down the phone.
Examples of put down the phone in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Her teeth chattered and trembled until her spasming fingers put down the phone.
—
Han Kang, The New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2023
Shapiro put down the phone and glowered at it.
—Nathan Heller, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2023
But put down the phone, because delivery is not on the menu here.
—Caitlyn Fitzpatrick, Popular Mechanics, 9 June 2022
Lembke believes much of that increase in time is by design — a result of tech companies' deliberate strategies as opposed to a lack of willpower to put down the phone.
—Alex Pena, CBS News, 5 May 2022
What is a good polite — or even impolite — way to tell her to put down the phone and pay attention to the world around her?
—Washington Post, 28 June 2021
Bernard reacted calmly as the marshall put down the phone and said the execution could proceed.
—The Salt Lake Tribune, 11 Dec. 2020
Some of the activities are merely prompts for the child and parent to put down the phone and perform an activity in the real world like going out to describe clouds or talk about their favorite animals.
—Stan Horaczek, Popular Science, 22 Sep. 2020
Being a parent in this time has taught me to put down the phone.
—National Geographic, 19 June 2020
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.
Han Kang, The New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2023
Shapiro put down the phone and glowered at it.
—Nathan Heller, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2023
But put down the phone, because delivery is not on the menu here.
—Caitlyn Fitzpatrick, Popular Mechanics, 9 June 2022
Lembke believes much of that increase in time is by design — a result of tech companies' deliberate strategies as opposed to a lack of willpower to put down the phone.
—Alex Pena, CBS News, 5 May 2022
What is a good polite — or even impolite — way to tell her to put down the phone and pay attention to the world around her?
—Washington Post, 28 June 2021
Bernard reacted calmly as the marshall put down the phone and said the execution could proceed.
—The Salt Lake Tribune, 11 Dec. 2020
Some of the activities are merely prompts for the child and parent to put down the phone and perform an activity in the real world like going out to describe clouds or talk about their favorite animals.
—Stan Horaczek, Popular Science, 22 Sep. 2020
Being a parent in this time has taught me to put down the phone.
—National Geographic, 19 June 2020
Dictionary Entries Near put down the phone
Cite this Entry
“Put down the phone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/put%20down%20the%20phone. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share