How to Use on the phone in a Sentence

on the phone

idiom
Definition of on the phonenext
  • O’Brien spoke with me on the phone from his home in Austin.
    — Nick Hilden, Washington Post, 24 Mar. 2023
  • His lawyer wasn’t in court that day but was on the phone.
    — Paloma Esquivel, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2024
  • Bo Lillis then asked Young to talk on the phone the next day.
    — Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Jan. 2025
  • Terry came across as gruff and crass on the phone that day.
    — Jessica Lucas, Rolling Stone, 2 May 2023
  • My mama had told me on the phone: Don’t lie to them, Lita.
    — Lizz Schumer, People.com, 11 Oct. 2024
  • The cousins went back and forth on the phone until Brandi broke in.
    — Michael Gordon, Charlotte Observer, 17 Jan. 2025
  • There were even football cards made with Joe on the phone.
    — Haley Van Horn, Peoplemag, 4 Aug. 2024
  • But President Biden has been on the phone just in the last 24 hours with the emir of Qatar.
    — Nbc Universal, NBC News, 26 Nov. 2023
  • Move around or lift weights while talking on the phone.
    — Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 4 Jan. 2025
  • This is best done in person, or on the phone, rather than by text.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 2 Dec. 2024
  • Robin then heard what sounded like Bob’s voice on the phone.
    — Charles Bethea, The New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2024
  • That’s what got us back on the phone just talking about hip-hop.
    — Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 28 Dec. 2023
  • The film opens with Trayvon Martin (Myles Frost) walking to the store while on the phone with a friend.
    — Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Sep. 2023
  • In the video, Hartwell is talking on the phone while away at a hotel for a 2019 bowl game for the school.
    — Courtney Tanner, The Salt Lake Tribune, 21 Aug. 2023
  • The crazy little scene that the movie turns on is Matt and Viola on the phone.
    — Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Dec. 2023
  • It was purchased by a client on the phone, Sotheby’s said.
    — Anthony Demarco, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
  • Wait, so Matthew was always going to be on the phone with them.
    — Kate Aurthur, Variety, 10 Apr. 2023
  • He often gets asked by younger fans to talk to their moms and aunties on the phone.
    — Elahe Izadi, Washington Post, 8 Feb. 2024
  • German on the streets, my mother and my father on the phone.
    — Sara Freeman, The Atlantic, 27 June 2023
  • Khloé then gets sister Kourtney on the phone so Kris can tell her the news.
    — Vanessa Etienne, Peoplemag, 4 July 2024
  • She was fixated on the phone, the world around her reduced to a tiny screen.
    — Timothy McLaughlin, Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2023
  • Honea, who was on the phone at the time, walked back toward the group as another deputy opened the box.
    — Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024
  • The film opens with him chatting with a friend on the phone and grabbing some candy.
    — Ruhama Wolle, Glamour, 12 Jan. 2024
  • The two texted in April and discussed catching up on the phone, but never did.
    — Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
  • The man on the phone has reached out to Tenma directly up to five times a day, for months.
    — Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2023
  • What led to that moment? Ms. Tyson and I would speak daily on the phone first in the mornings at 9:30.
    — Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 24 Jan. 2024
  • Are lies more prevalent on text or email than on the phone or in person?
    — Christian B. Miller, CNN, 25 June 2024
  • When the headphones appear on the phone’s screen, tap on them and then pick Pair to connect.
    — David Nield, Popular Science, 28 June 2023
  • The way around this, according to Wired, is to have the seller sign out of their iCloud or Google account on the phone but not factory reset the device.
    — Jibin Joseph, PCMAG, 23 Jan. 2025
  • Meanwhile, the 44-year-old woman, seeing her neighbor land on top of Lino and the suspect still holding the knife, was on the phone frantically trying to get police to come.
    — Ellen Moynihan, New York Daily News, 1 Feb. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'on the phone.' 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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