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Business English vocabulary · Phone and Video Calls

Pick up the phone

Meaning in business english, with examples

phraseCore term

In business english, pick up the phone means: To make a phone call, especially quickly and directly instead of sending messages or waiting.

In Turkish: telefonu eline alıp aramak

How it is used

Often used when a situation needs immediate contact, clarification, or a personal touch. Common in sales, support, and urgent coordination.

Example sentences

  1. Rather than email back and forth all afternoon, I picked up the phone and resolved the pricing confusion in ten minutes.

    Here, the phrase emphasizes choosing a direct call to solve a problem faster than written messages.

  2. If the shipment is still missing by noon, please pick up the phone and speak to the courier's operations desk.

    In this sentence, the term suggests immediate action and live conversation because the matter is time-sensitive.

Common collocations

  • pick up the phone and call
  • pick up the phone immediately
  • pick up the phone to clarify
  • conference callA phone or online call in which three or more people in different places talk together at the same time.
  • get back toTo contact someone again later, usually to give them an answer or information that you do not have yet.

More terms: Phone and Video Calls

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