phone in
verb- To deliver a message by telephone when etiquette demands the effort and respect conveyed by communication in person. · Please give us the courtesy of showing up instead of phoning in.· Please give us the courtesy of delivering it in person instead of phoning it in.
- To make a telephone call to a broadcasting station, especially to participate in a program being aired. · We've got Brian phoning in from Phoenix. Brian, you're on the air.· I've been trying to phone in to your program for the last half hour.
- To fulfill a responsibility with a minimum effort rather than the appropriate level of effort. · phone it in· He thought he could phone in the scheduling process, but it takes sharp negotiations around here.
- To make an unseemly, timid performance; to be restrained and timid when bold action is called for.
From the library
For thirty days, I left my phone in my bag whenever I was waiting for something.
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