phone
noun
have phoned
-
present perfectof phone.present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
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.
"It was so totally out of character. She would have phoned."
From BBC ● Feb. 2, 2026
Nowadays she would probably have phoned the other mothers, but in those times it was believed that children should fight their own battles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2025
Turan believed Cruise by this point in the franchise could have phoned in his performance as the intrepid secret agent, but the actor absolutely does not.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2023
They could have phoned it in and been like, “Listen, we don’t have time to learn more choreography.”
From New York Times ● Feb. 22, 2022
They could have phoned the police or whatever, I know I was taking a chance, but like I say there wasn’t any choice.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
