phrasal verb🧩 phrasal verb

ring up

to call on phone

What it means

To telephone someone, especially in British English. In a shop context, it can also mean for a cashier to enter a purchase into the till.

Examples

  • I'll ring you up tomorrow morning to confirm the meeting time.
  • She rang up her sister to share the exciting news immediately.
  • Can you ring the doctor up and ask for an appointment this week?
  • The cashier rang up our items and told us the total.

Where it comes from

Separable: 'ring him up' or 'ring up the office'. Common in British English; Americans usually say 'call' instead. The phrase comes from old telephones that rang a bell when connecting.

Related phrasal verbs

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