1 B1 neutral
To make an outbound call from a telephone or switchboard system to an external number.
"You need to press 9 before you can dial out on this office phone system."
inseparable
dial out
B2 neutral inseparable transitive/intransitive
To make a phone call from a telephone system to an external number, or to remove noise/interference from a signal.
In plain English
To call someone from a phone system by dialling an outside number, or to remove unwanted noise from a sound.
What does "dial out" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 idiomatic neutral
(Audio engineering) To remove an unwanted frequency or noise from an audio signal by adjusting settings.
"The sound engineer dialled out the low-frequency hum before the show."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To dial (a number) outward to an external destination.
Actually means
To call someone from a phone system by dialling an outside number, or to remove unwanted noise from a sound.
Usage tip
In telephony, 'dial out' means to place an outbound call, often from a PBX or office system requiring a prefix (e.g., dial 9 to dial out). In audio engineering, 'dial out' means to use equalisation to remove a frequency. Both senses are quite technical.
Words that pair with "dial out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
prefix external line frequency noise number extension
How to conjugate "dial out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
dial out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
dials out
he/she/it
Past simple
dialed out
yesterday
Past participle
dialed out
have + pp
-ing form
dialing out
continuous
Hear "dial out" in the wild
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Other ways to say "dial out"
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