Meaning & use
hanging up the phone
Last updated
“hanging up the phone” is a form of “hang up”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
phrasephrasal verb
Ending a phone call by putting the receiver down or pressing a button to disconnect.
Grammar: Hang up takes the phone as an object or goes without one: hang up the phone, or just hang up.
Patterns
- hang up the phone
- hang up
She finished the call and was hanging up the phone when the doorbell rang.
Hanging up the phone too quickly made him miss the final instructions.
He regretted hanging up the phone without saying goodbye.
phrasephrasal verbinformal
Ending a call suddenly and rudely while the other person is still talking.
Grammar: Usually uses on and an object: hang up on someone.
Patterns
- hang up on someone
Customers get angry when agents are hanging up the phone on them.
She was furious that he kept hanging up the phone in the middle of an argument.
Word forms
| third person singular | hangs up the phone |
|---|---|
| past tense | hung up the phone |
| past participle | hung up the phone |
| -ing form | hanging up the phone |
Common combinations
- hang up on someone
- Please don't hang up on me.
- slam down the phone
- He slammed down the phone in anger.
- hang up the phone gently
- She hung up the phone gently so as not to wake the baby.
- before hanging up the phone
- Remember to say goodbye before hanging up the phone.
- keep hanging up
- The scammers kept hanging up when I asked questions.
Synonyms and how they differ
- ending the call
- Ending the call is neutral and works for any type of phone, while hanging up suggests the traditional action.
- disconnecting
- Disconnecting can describe a technical break in the line as well as a person's action.
- signing off
- Signing off means politely finishing a conversation or message, often with a farewell.
- cutting off
- Cutting off implies stopping someone suddenly, which is closer to hang up on someone.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: hanging up the phone or hanging out? hanging up the phone or holding on?
hanging up the phone vs hanging out
Hanging out means spending relaxed time with friends and has nothing to do with phone calls.
hanging up the phone vs holding on
Holding on means staying on the line and waiting, the opposite of hanging up.
Practice
She was so angry that she kept ___ on him whenever he called.
Choose one answer.
Hang up on someone means to end a call rudely. Hanging out, around and over have different meanings.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “hanging up the phone”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.