hang up

end a phone call by putting the phone down

B1

What does "hang up" mean?

To hang up means to end a telephone or mobile phone call. The expression comes from the old days of landline phones, when you would physically place the receiver back on a hook or cradle to end the call. Today, people use it for any kind of phone call, including mobile phones and video calls, even though there is nothing to physically hang. It is one of the most common ways to talk about ending a call in everyday English. You can use it neutrally — just to say a call finished — or in more emotional situations, for example when someone ends a call suddenly because they are upset.

Examples

How to use it

hang up (no object)

The most common pattern — used without any object to simply mean ending a call.

She said a quick goodbye and hung up.

hang up + the phone / the receiver

Used when you want to mention the device; the object comes after 'up'.

He hung up the phone and went back to work.

hang + the phone / the receiver + up

The object can also go between 'hang' and 'up', though this is less common.

She hung the receiver up and sat quietly for a moment.

hang up on + person

When you include the person whose call you ended, use 'on' before them — this usually suggests the action was rude or abrupt.

He was so frustrated that he hung up on his manager.

don't hang up / about to hang up

Very common in imperatives and in phrases describing an action that is close to happening.

Please don't hang up — I just need one more minute to explain.

Common Collocations

hung up the phonehung up on mehung up abruptlyhung up without saying goodbyehung up mid-sentencedon't hang up

Common Mistakes

Confusing 'hang up' with 'hang up on someone'

'Hang up' on its own is neutral — it just means the call ended. 'Hang up on someone' means you ended the call rudely while the other person was still talking. They are not the same thing.

✗ I finished the conversation and hung up on her.
✓ I finished the conversation and hung up. / I was so angry that I hung up on her.
Adding 'on the phone' instead of 'the phone'

'On' only appears before a person in this phrasal verb. When you mention the device, say 'hang up the phone', not 'hang up on the phone'.

✗ She hung up on the phone after the call.
✓ She hung up the phone after the call.
Using a pronoun as the object

In the phone sense, you almost never use a pronoun like 'it' as the object. Instead, just say 'hang up' without any object.

✗ The call was over, so I hung it up.
✓ The call was over, so I hung up.

Usage

Most commonly used without an object: 'She hung up.' Works for mobile and landline calls alike. Very frequent in spoken English and in written narratives.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'hang up' only work for landline phones, or can I use it for mobile phones too?

You can use 'hang up' for any kind of phone call — landlines, mobile phones, and even video calls. Even though the original meaning came from physically hanging a receiver on a hook, the expression is completely normal for modern phones. Nobody will find it strange if you say 'I hung up my mobile.'

Can 'hang up' have a different meaning — like with clothes?

Yes — 'hang up' also means to put something on a hook or hanger, for example 'Hang up your coat when you come in.' These two meanings are completely different, but context always makes it clear which one is meant. If the sentence is about a phone call, it means ending the call.

Is it natural to say 'She has been hanging up' to describe someone ending calls?

No, this sounds very unnatural. Hanging up is a quick, single action, so continuous forms like 'has been hanging up' do not fit well. It is much more natural to say 'She hung up' (past simple) or 'She has hung up' (present perfect).

Can I use 'hang up' in the passive, like 'The call was hung up'?

This is not natural in English. Because 'hang up' is usually used without an object — you just 'hang up' — there is no passive form. Instead, say who did the action: 'She hung up' or 'He hung up on me.'

What kinds of adverbs go well with 'hang up'?

Words like 'abruptly', 'immediately', 'angrily', and 'suddenly' are very common with 'hang up' when you want to show that the call ended in an emotional or unexpected way. You can also use phrases like 'without saying goodbye' or 'mid-sentence' to add detail.

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