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Answer a Call: Meaning, Usage, and Examples
Meaning 1：respond to a phone call (Answer a Call)
Answer a Call
/ˈænsər ə kɔːl/
v.phr.
To pick up the phone when someone is calling, so you can start talking to them.
respond to a phone call
➕
/rɪˈspɒnd tuː ə fəʊn kɔːl/
v.phr.
To pick up a phone when it rings, thereby initiating a conversation with the caller.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Root Explanation
'Answer' from Old English 'andswaru' (response) + 'call' from Old Norse 'kalla' (to cry out).
💡 Mnemonic
Imagine your phone rings: you tap the green button to 'answer'. The action is quick, like saying 'I'm here!'
📖 Example
While she was studying in the library, her phone rang, and she quickly stepped outside to answer the call from her mom.
While she was studying in the library, her phone rang, and she quickly stepped outside to answer the call from her mom.
🔗 Collocations
answer the phone – to pick up the receiver when it rings
answer a call – the same as 'answer the phone'
take a call – to be available to speak on the phone, usually in a professional context
🔄 Synonyms
pick up the phone (v.phr.) – to lift the receiver or press the button to start a phone conversation
take the call (v.phr.) – to accept and handle an incoming phone call
respond to a call (v.phr.) – to answer a phone call or any request for communication
🚫 Antonyms
ignore the call (v.phr.) – to purposely not answer a ringing phone
send to voicemail (v.phr.) – to decline an incoming call so it goes directly to voice messaging
decline the call (v.phr.) – to reject or refuse the incoming phone call
📖 Cultural Story
The phrase 'answer a call' gained widespread use with the telephone's invention in the late 19th century, originally meaning to physically respond to a ringing device. It later became a metaphor for accepting any urgent request.
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