# on the phone

idiom · CEFR A1

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/on-the-phone
Updated: 2026-04-22

## Meaning

Means you are busy talking to someone using a telephone.

## Examples

- I cannot talk right now because I am on the phone.
- Please wait a moment while I finish this call, as I am currently on the phone with a client.
- She paced back and forth across the quiet office, deeply engaged in a serious discussion while on the phone with her lawyer.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.