call in
Meaning(s)
1. visit someone/somewhere briefly
Popularity
High
Professional
High
Social
How to Memorize
call in to see someone
Analysis
As a phrasal verb 'call in' means 'to visit' someone or somewhere. "I need to call in to my grandmother's to see if she needs anything." You could call into someone's home or call into a shop for example. In this usage, similar meaning phrases are 'pop in' and 'drop in on'. This is a commonly used phrasal verb in social and professional situations. Note: 'call-in' and 'call-in' can also be used as a verb or a noun and can mean 'to phone in' to a radio station or TV programme. It can also be used to refer to the kind of TV or radio show were the public can use their phone to talk to the hosts: 'a call-in show' or it can mean to invite someone to ask them to help you in some way "We should call in the help of a solicitor for this.".
Social Examples (Basic)
- Katie lives near the cinema, so I think I'll call in to see her on my way there so we can have a bit of a chin-wag.
- Peter is calling in on his friend today to check on how he's doing after his accident yesterday.
- I called in to the supermarket to pick up a few things for my dinner party this weekend.
Professional Examples (Basic)
- One of our engineers is free today to call in and service your machine.
- If you'd like to call in to our shop we can offer you a free consultation.