crank call

American  

[krangk kawl] / ˌkræŋk ˈkɔl /

noun

PLURAL

crank calls

1. a telephone call made with the intention to prank someone, especially one that annoys, upsets, or harasses the person receiving the call.

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Other Word Forms

• crank caller noun

Example Sentences

Officials and reports say thousands of crank calls from China have targeted Fukushima government offices and the nuclear plant’s operator, as well as the Foreign Ministry.

From Seattle Times

Officials and reports say thousands of crank calls from China have targeted Fukushima government offices and the nuclear plant’s operator.

From Seattle Times

Japanese public broadcaster NHK said thousands of crank calls from China have targeted Fukushima government offices and the nuclear plant’s operator.

From Seattle Times

Soon, they started getting crank calls from strangers.

From Washington Post

Transit officials later explained that they had decided that wording was all but guaranteed to generate crank calls, since New Yorkers tend to regard one another and their possessions warily to begin with.

From New York Times

Related Words

• local call
• long-distance call
• phone call
• telephone conversation