crank call

[krangk kawl] / ˌkræŋk ˈkɔl /

NOUN

telephone call

Synonyms

STRONGEST

local call long-distance call phone call telephone conversation

WEAK

buzz call collect call person-to-person call phone conversation ring station-to-station call toll call toll-free call trunk 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.

“We used to crank call Courtney,” Jeff says.

From The Guardian • Aug. 14, 2019

This is a crank call that sorta backfired, and I’d like to bail out right now.

From The Guardian • Nov. 24, 2016

When the listener identified himself, Plotz thought it was a crank call.

From Slate • Dec. 15, 2015

“I was quite nervous about it,” she recalled, although the reception was positive, save for a single crank call.

From New York Times • Nov. 10, 2012

“They have to verify that it’s not a crank call before they send a helicopter, they said.”

From "Adrift" by Paul Griffin