ENGLISH
REFERENCE

hang up on

phr. v..
B1 Intermediate Oxford Informal

phr. v.. to end a phone call suddenly because you are angry with the person you are talking to.

phr. v.. to terminate a telephonic conversation abruptly and unilaterally, typically as a result of irritation or conflict.


SIMPLE

Don't hang up on me while I'm talking!

CONTEXTUAL

He was so rude during our argument that I just decided to hang up on him.

COMPLEX

The customer service representative was shocked when the caller abruptly hung up on her mid-sentence without providing an account number.

Particles
up on
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
hang + up + on + object
Usage

the object is always the person being disconnected, not the phone itself.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'hang up' (neutral ending of a call); adding 'on' changes the focus to the person being treated rudely.

Pitfall

She hung up the phone on me.She hung up on me.while 'hang up the phone' is correct for ending a call, the three-part phrasal verb 'hang up on [someone]' is the standard way to describe cutting someone off.

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