ring back
phrasal verb·1 sense·particle back
Meanings
Telephone someone again to return a call
Why “back”? The action returns to the person who did it first.
“I'll ring back later.”
“Can you ring back after the meeting?”
Don't confuse with
Ring back means telephone someone again to return a call. Ring up means telephone someone.
Test yourself
“I'll ring back later.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
ring up
A contrast learners often mix up
Telephone someone
answer back
Same back pattern: returning action
Reply in a defiant manner
call back
Same back pattern: returning action
Return a phone call; Try the phone call again; Recall a product because of a fault
fight back
Same back pattern: returning action
Defend yourself against an attack; Try to suppress a feeling like tears or anger
get back
Same back pattern: returning action
Return to a place; Reply to someone, often with information they asked for; Take revenge on someone; Receive something again that you had before
give back
Same back pattern: returning action
Return something to its owner; Make a contribution in return to a community or cause
hit back
Same back pattern: returning action
Retaliate
kick back
Same back pattern: returning action
Kick in response to an attack
Sink In — iOS & Android
Practice “ring back” in Sink In
Drill “ring back” and 1,300+ other phrasal verbs with spaced repetition, organised by the particle patterns that connect them.
- Learn the pattern behind dozens of verbs at once — not one-off translations.
- Spaced repetition (SM-2) brings each meaning back right before you forget.
- Four practice modes train recall and discrimination, not just recognition.
