988

American  

[nahyn-ayt-ayt] / ˈnaɪnˌeɪtˈeɪt /

1. (in the United States) the telephone number for a mental health crisis hotline staffed by licensed counselors and other staff trained in suicide prevention.

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Etymology

Origin of 988

First recorded in 2022

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

988

Editor’s note: The national suicide and crisis lifeline is available by calling or texting 988.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026

You can connect with people who want to listen and support you by calling or texting 988 in the US and Canada, or by calling 111 in the UK.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 12, 2026

People have contacted the service roughly 25 million times since July 2022, when the previous 10-digit telephone number officially converted to the shorter and more memorable 988.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 1, 2026

No single approach works for every 988 caller, autistic or not.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 1, 2026

S. 988, D. 209,—in the one pink, in the other blue; but again in D. 1561, pink.

From Proserpina, Volume 2 Studies Of Wayside Flowers by John Ruskin