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
Since being named general manager of the Los Angeles Kings, Ken Holland has been on the phone with fellow GMs, agents and staff — it’s been a whirlwind.
—
Pierre Lebrun, New York Times, 22 May 2025
The woman recalls how, if girls shared negative experiences while speaking with family on the phone, the facility’s managers would step in to hang up the call, according to the lawsuit.
—Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 22 May 2025
The friend said his uncle was on the phone with Hussain after the fire started, and said Hussain was telling him everything that happened before the fall.
—Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 20 May 2025
However, another urgent matter arose that required my spending the drive time on the phone.
—Jerry Weissman, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for on the phone
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Pierre Lebrun, New York Times, 22 May 2025
The woman recalls how, if girls shared negative experiences while speaking with family on the phone, the facility’s managers would step in to hang up the call, according to the lawsuit.
—Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 22 May 2025
The friend said his uncle was on the phone with Hussain after the fire started, and said Hussain was telling him everything that happened before the fall.
—Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 20 May 2025
However, another urgent matter arose that required my spending the drive time on the phone.
—Jerry Weissman, Forbes.com, 20 May 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 5 Jun. 2025.
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