prank call
noun
plural prank calls
: a phone call made for the purpose of pranking, upsetting, or harassing someone
… describes … making giggly prank calls and getting ill-advised perms …—L. Aase
… makes prank calls to friends and tries to rile them up with an outrageous lie.—Billy Masters
Swatting is when a prank call or false report is made of an emergency with the intention of provoking an armed response by law enforcement.—Kyra Howard
prank call
transitive verb
prank called; prank calling; prank calls
My friends and I would stay up all night, talking for hours, prank calling strangers just to hear someone laugh or slam the phone down.
—Joshua Ray Walker
prank caller
noun
plural prank callers
A prank caller is harassing … residents by making early morning calls claiming to be an emergency room doctor and reporting that a relative or loved one has been involved in a serious accident.
—Steve LaRue
Cite this Entry
“Prank call.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prank%20call. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.
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