Call back meaning
Call back means to phone someone who called you, or phone someone again. It can also mean to go back to a place to see someone or collect something.
call somebody back
call back · called · calling
I’m driving. Can I call you back in ten minutes?
Call back meanings and examples
2 meanings, each with its own CEFR level from Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries and the Cambridge Dictionary.
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1
Phone someone who called you, or phone someone again
call somebody back
- I’m driving. Can I call you back in ten minutes?
- She didn’t call back, so I sent her an email.
- Mr Lee rang. Please call him back after lunch.
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2
Go back to a place to see someone or collect something
call back
- The repair man said he’d call back tomorrow.
- Your shoes aren’t ready. Can you call back on Monday?
- If nobody’s in, the driver will call back later.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use call back in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is call back separable?
Call back is separable. The person usually goes in the middle: call Anna back, call her back. Call back her is wrong.
Without a person it still works: I’ll call back later. The noun callback also means an invitation to a second interview or audition.
Verb tenses for call back
| Present | I call back · she calls back |
|---|---|
| Past | called back |
| Present perfect | have called back |
| -ing form | calling back |
Common mistakes with call back
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: I missed her call. I’ll call back her now.
Right: I missed her call. I’ll call her back now.
A pronoun goes between call and back.
Wrong: Can you call to me back later?
Right: Can you call me back later?
No to after call.
Wrong: I will call you back after I will finish.
Right: I will call you back after I finish.
After after, use the present tense for the future.
Synonyms and opposites of call back
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- ring backthe same meaning, common in UK English
- get back toreply later, by phone or email
- call upphone someone, not as a reply
Opposite
- ignore a callsee a call and choose not to answer or return it
- hang upend a phone call
Call back quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1Sorry, I’m in a meeting. I’ll ___ you ___ at five.
Call someone back means phone them again later.
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2Choose the right sentence.
The pronoun goes in the middle and there is no to.
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3A voicemail says: “Hi, it’s Jo. Call me back when you can.” What should you do?
Call me back asks you to return the call.
More phrasal verbs with call
5 phrasal verbs start with call. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
Call back FAQ
Questions people ask about call back.
What does I’ll call you back mean?
It means I can’t talk now, but I will phone you later. People say it when they are busy or have a bad signal.
What is a callback?
A callback is a return phone call. In jobs and acting, it is an invitation to a second interview or audition: I got a callback!
Call back or ring back?
They mean the same. Ring back is mostly UK English. Call back is used everywhere.
Use call back in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.