Phrasal verbs related to telephones can help you express yourself more clearly in everyday conversations. They are particularly useful when talking about making or receiving phone calls. Here is a list of 20 essential telephone phrasal verbs that will make your communication smoother and more effective.
Here is the list of 20 Telephone Phrasal Verb:
- Call back
- Hang up
- Pick up
- Cut off
- Get through
- Hold on
- Put through
- Ring up
- Call up
- Break up
- Dial up
- Switch off
- Speak up
- Listen in
- Cut in
- Get back to
- Hang on
- Pass on
- Call in
- Phone up
Telephone Phrasal Verbs with Their Meanings & Examples
Call back
Meaning: To return a phone call.
Example: I’ll call you back once I’m done with this meeting.
Hang up
Meaning: To end a phone call.
Example: She hung up before I could finish speaking.
Pick up
Meaning: To answer the phone.
Example: Can you pick up the phone? It’s been ringing for a while.
Cut off
Meaning: To interrupt a phone conversation abruptly.
Example: We were cut off when we entered the tunnel.
Get through
Meaning: To successfully connect with someone by phone.
Example: I finally got through to customer service after waiting for 30 minutes.
Hold on
Meaning: To wait on the phone.
Example: Could you hold on for a moment while I check the information?
Put through
Meaning: To connect a caller to another person or department.
Example: Let me put you through to the technical support team.
Ring up
Meaning: To call someone by phone.
Example: I’ll ring up my cousin to see if she can join us.
Call up
Meaning: To phone someone, usually to give them information.
Example: I called up my friend to invite her to the party.
Break up
Meaning: To have poor reception during a phone call, causing interruptions.
Example: Sorry, you’re breaking up. Can you repeat that?
Dial up
Meaning: To make a phone call by dialing a number.
Example: I dialed up the office to report my absence.
Switch off
Meaning: To turn off the phone.
Example: Please switch off your phone before entering the meeting.
Speak up
Meaning: To talk more loudly.
Example: Could you speak up? I can barely hear you.
Listen in
Meaning: To secretly listen to a phone conversation.
Example: He was listening in on our conversation.
Cut in
Meaning: To interrupt someone speaking on the phone.
Example: He cut in while I was explaining the situation.
Get back to
Meaning: To return someone’s call.
Example: I’ll get back to you once I find out more details.
Hang on
Meaning: To wait briefly on the phone.
Example: Hang on a second, I need to grab a pen.
Pass on
Meaning: To convey a message to someone else.
Example: Could you pass on my message to the manager?
Call in
Meaning: To phone your workplace to report absence or give information.
Example: She called in sick today due to a cold.
Phone up
Meaning: To make a phone call.
Example: I’ll phone up my brother later to catch up.