collect call

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Although her children could be heard in the background of a March 20 collect call obtained by People, she referenced them being taken from her custody in another call two days later.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

At long last, my client was allowed to make a tearful, five-minute collect call to his wife, in which he confirmed that he was alive and that he would be deported the next day.

From Slate • Apr. 2, 2017

At the beginning of “The Rain People,” Natalie makes a collect call to her husband from the Pennsylvania Turnpike, saying she has to get away.

From Washington Post • Mar. 2, 2017

In particular, he said a collect call McCullough made from the Rockford post office on the night when Maria disappeared showed that it would have been impossible for McCullough to have abducted the girl.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 5, 2016

I said, “Not yet. Big Ma hasn’t gotten over the collect call from yesterday. We gotta get up enough dimes to make a real call across the country.”

From "One Crazy Summer" by Rita Williams-Garcia