phone-in

[ fohn-in ]

/ ˈfoʊnˌɪn /

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noun, adjective

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of phone-in

First recorded in 1965–70; noun, adj. use of verb phrase phone in

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use phone-in in a sentence

“We talked about the science the whole time the other day,” Krauss told The Daily Beast in a phone interview.
Sleazy Billionaire’s Double Life Featured Beach Parties With Stephen Hawking|M.L. Nestel|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
He added, "I have not had this many phone calls since the shutdown of the government, truthfully."
Democrats Accidentally Save Boehner From Republican Coup|Ben Jacobs, Jackie Kucinich|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
This is a guy who has his son-in-law clean his eyeglasses, for crying out loud.
Will Chris Christie Regret His Cowboy Hug?|Matt Lewis|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Now it can't open on my phone due to what appears to be software incompatibility.
My Week on Jewish Tinder|Emily Shire|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Her travel clique has been known to arrive at an airport, bags packed, passport-in-hand, within hours of spotting a deal.
‘We Out Here’: Inside the New Black Travel Movement|Charlise Ferguson|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Such throats are trying, are they not?In case one catches cold; Ah, yes!
Boys and Girls Bookshelf; a Practical Plan of Character Building, Volume I (of 17)|Various
The commander-in-chief still kept him attached to the headquarter staff, and constantly employed him on special service.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
So far Murat had always held subordinate commands; his great ambition was to become the commander-in-chief of an independent army.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
Their jurisdictions overlapped and the Gascon would play second fiddle to no one save to his great brother-in-law.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
But the novel disappeared under the clothes with amazing celerity as the voice of her sister-in-law demanded admission.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills

British Dictionary definitions for phone-in (1 of 2)

phone in

verb (adv)

(intr) to make a telephone call to deliver information (esp to a broadcasting studio or place of work)

(tr) slang to deliver (a performance) in a perfunctory manner

British Dictionary definitions for phone-in (2 of 2)

phone-in

noun

a radio or television programme in which listeners' or viewers' questions, comments, etc, are telephoned to the studio and broadcast live
(as modifier)a phone-in discussion

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012