Showing results for 988.

988

American

[nahyn-eyt-eyt] / ˈnaɪnˌeɪtˈeɪt /

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

Etymology

Origin of 988

First recorded in 2022

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“I’ve called 988, I’ve texted 988 before, and my experience was I don’t want to do it anymore.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

Emergency services are contacted in fewer than 2% of calls, according to Vibrant Emotional Health, the nonprofit organization that administers 988, and most of these dispatches are made with the caller’s consent.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

Readers in the US and Canada can call the 988 suicide helpline or visit its website.

From BBC • Dec. 29, 2025

Both Raiders and Cowboys players wore shirts honoring Kneeland during pre-game warm-ups, with the Raiders jerseys carrying the number "988" of a suicide prevention helpline.

From Barron's • Nov. 18, 2025

The total number of prosecutions for violation of the Espionage Act from June 15, 1917, to July 1, 1918, were 988.

From The Red Conspiracy by Mereto, Joseph J.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023