1 B1 neutral
To join a meeting, broadcast, or service by making a phone call.
"Several team members will be dialling in from the New York office."
inseparable
dial in
B2 neutral separable transitive/intransitive
To connect to a meeting or service by telephone, or to fine-tune something to the correct setting.
In plain English
To join a phone meeting by calling a number, or to carefully adjust something to get it exactly right.
What does "dial in" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic informal
To fine-tune or precisely calibrate something to achieve the best result.
"The mechanic needed a few laps to dial in the car's suspension settings."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To use a dial to call into a telephone line.
Actually means
To join a phone meeting by calling a number, or to carefully adjust something to get it exactly right.
Usage tip
In a business context, 'dial in' means to join a conference call. In technical or informal contexts, it means to find or adjust to the optimal setting. The second sense is more figurative and particularly common in sports and performance contexts.
Words that pair with "dial in"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
conference call meeting number frequency settings performance
How to conjugate "dial in"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
dial in
I/you/we/they
3rd person
dials in
he/she/it
Past simple
dialed in
yesterday
Past participle
dialed in
have + pp
-ing form
dialing in
continuous
Hear "dial in" in the wild
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Other ways to say "dial in"
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