What does "call ahead" mean?

Phone before you arrive or before something happens. For example: Call ahead before you visit the clinic.

call ahead

phrasal verb·1 sense·particle ahead

Meanings

Phone before you arrive or before something happens

Getting Ready

Why “ahead”? Attention reaches forward into the future so you are ready before it arrives.

“Call ahead before you visit the clinic.”

Phone the clinic before you go there.

“We called ahead to check if the cafe had a table.”

We phoned the cafe before we arrived to check for a table.

Don't confuse with

call aheadcall up

Call ahead means phone before you arrive or before something happens. Call up means phone someone.

call aheadcall back

Call ahead means phone before you arrive. Call back means return a phone call.

Test yourself

“Call ahead before you visit the clinic.” What does it mean?

Nearby in the meaning map

Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.

call back

A contrast learners often mix up

Return a phone call; Try the phone call again; Recall a product because of a fault

call up

A contrast learners often mix up

Telephone someone; Order someone to join military service; Display information on a screen or computer; Bring a memory or feeling vividly to mind; Select a player for a higher-level team

get ahead