Phrasal verbs play a crucial role in English communication, particularly during telephone conversations where clarity and brevity are essential. These combinations of verbs and prepositions or adverbs enrich the language, making it vibrant and expressive. They are especially vital in telephonic communications, where they can quickly convey actions or reactions in a context where visual cues are absent.
Understanding and using telephone phrasal verbs can greatly enhance your communication skills, making interactions smoother and more professional. Whether you are arranging a call, troubleshooting over the phone, or simply chatting, these phrasal verbs are indispensable tools. Below is a detailed list of 50 telephone phrasal verbs, each presented with its meaning and an example sentence to help you master phone-based communication.
Telephone Phrasal Verbs
1. Call Back
Meaning: Return a phone call.
Example: I missed her call, so I’ll call her back after lunch.
2. Hang Up
Meaning: End a phone call.
Example: She hung up before I could apologize.
3. Pick Up
Meaning: Answer the phone.
Example: Can you pick up the phone? It’s been ringing for a while.
4. Hold On
Meaning: Wait briefly during a telephone conversation.
Example: Hold on, I’ll transfer you to the right department.
5. Put Through
Meaning: Connect someone to another phone line.
Example: Could you put me through to customer service, please?
6. Dial In
Meaning: Call into a conference call or similar.
Example: You need to dial in using the access code provided.
7. Speak Up
Meaning: Talk louder.
Example: Could you speak up? I can’t hear you very well.
8. Cut Off
Meaning: Lose the connection unexpectedly.
Example: We were cut off in the middle of our conversation.
9. Call Up
Meaning: Phone someone.
Example: I’ll call up the suppliers to confirm the order details.
10. Ring Off
Meaning: Finish a phone call.
Example: He quickly rang off after giving me the news.
11. Ring Up
Meaning: Call someone on the telephone.
Example: I need to ring up my boss and update him.
12. Break Up
Meaning: Lose signal intermittently during a call.
Example: Your voice is breaking up; maybe try moving to a different spot?
13. Get Off
Meaning: End a phone call.
Example: I got off the phone just in time to catch the bus.
14. Take Down
Meaning: Write down what someone says.
Example: Can you take down his message while I handle another call?
15. Hang On
Meaning: Wait a short time (informal).
Example: Hang on, I’m looking for a pen to write that down.
16. Call In
Meaning: Telephone to a place, typically to convey information.
Example: He called in sick this morning.
17. Ring Back
Meaning: Return a phone call.
Example: If she doesn’t answer, I’ll ring back later.
18. Put On Hold
Meaning: Make someone wait on the telephone.
Example: I was put on hold for twenty minutes.
19. Clear Up
Meaning: Resolve confusion or an issue over the phone.
Example: Let’s clear up the misunderstanding from yesterday’s call.
20. Pass On
Meaning: Transmit information via phone.
Example: Please pass on the details to the next team.
21. Look Up
Meaning: Search for information during a call.
Example: I’ll look up the flight times while you’re on the phone.
22. Switch Off
Meaning: Turn off the phone.
Example: He switches off his phone during meetings.
23. Switch On
Meaning: Turn on the phone.
Example: Don’t forget to switch on your phone after the flight.
24. Top Up
Meaning: Add credit to a mobile phone.
Example: I need to top up my phone before we go.
25. Set Up
Meaning: Arrange or initiate a phone call.
Example: I will set up a conference call for tomorrow morning.
26. Shut Off
Meaning: Stop a phone from working.
Example: My phone shuts off automatically when the battery is low.
27. Log In
Meaning: Enter a secure area of a phone system.
Example: You need to log in before accessing the voicemail.
28. Log Out
Meaning: Exit a secure area of a phone system.
Example: Don’t forget to log out after checking your messages.
29. Turn Down
Meaning: Lower the volume.
Example: Please turn down your ringtone in the office.
30. Turn Up
Meaning: Increase the volume.
Example: Can you turn up the volume? I can’t hear the caller.
31. Plug In
Meaning: Connect a phone to a power source.
Example: Plug in your phone; the battery is almost dead.
32. Plug Out
Meaning: Disconnect a phone from a power source.
Example: Remember to plug out your charger when you leave.
33. Speak Out
Meaning: Express something openly in a call.
Example: He spoke out against the unfair policy during the conference call.
34. Sign In
Meaning: Access a secure phone system.
Example: You need to sign in to use the app.
35. Sign Off
Meaning: End a digital communication.
Example: She signed off the email with ‘Best Regards’.
36. Sync Up
Meaning: Coordinate details over the phone.
Example: Let’s sync up by phone before the meeting.
37. Call Down
Meaning: Request someone to come using a phone.
Example: Call down to reception and ask for some extra towels.
38. Call Out
Meaning: Criticize someone or something in a public manner.
Example: The manager called out the poor performance during the call.
39. Patch Through
Meaning: Connect a caller to another line.
Example: I’ll patch you through to the manager now.
40. Punch In
Meaning: Enter numbers on a phone keypad.
Example: Punch in your PIN to access your voicemail.
41. Punch Out
Meaning: Use a phone system to end something.
Example: He punched out of the system after his shift ended.
42. Key In
Meaning: Enter data on a phone keypad.
Example: Key in your account number followed by the pound sign.
43. Key Out
Meaning: Erase or exit using a phone keypad.
Example: She keyed out her previous entry to correct the mistake.
44. Buzz In
Meaning: Let someone in using an electronic system.
Example: I’ll buzz you in once you reach the front door.
45. Buzz Off
Meaning: Disconnect abruptly.
Example: He was rude, so I just buzzed him off.
46. Scroll Up
Meaning: Move upwards on a mobile screen.
Example: Scroll up to see the earlier messages.
47. Scroll Down
Meaning: Move downwards on a mobile screen.
Example: Scroll down to find the contact details.
48. Power Up
Meaning: Start a phone by turning it on.
Example: Power up your device to receive the update.
49. Power Down
Meaning: Turn off a phone completely.
Example: It’s good practice to power down your phone occasionally.
50. Line Up
Meaning: Arrange or prepare for a call.
Example: We have several calls lined up for this afternoon.
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