INDEX:
1. to write to, talk to, telephone etc someone
2. to regularly telephone, write to, email etc someone
3. to succeed in contacting someone by telephone
4. when people write, speak etc to each other
5. to no longer speak to or write to someone
RELATED WORDS
see also
↑ TALK
↑ WRITE
↑ TELEPHONE
↑ LETTER
↑ MESSAGE
↑ COMPUTERS/INTERNET/EMAIL
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1. to write to, talk to, telephone etc someone
▷ get in touch with /ˌget ɪn ˈtʌtʃ wɪð/ [verb phrase not in passive]
to write to, telephone, email etc someone, especially someone you do not see very often :
▪ I really ought to get in touch with Paula. It’s been months since we last spoke.
▪ I’ve been trying to get in touch with my sister for several days.
▪ You can get in touch with me at home, or at the office if necessary.
▷ contact /ˈkɒntæktǁˈkɑːn-/ [transitive verb]
to write to, phone, email etc someone especially for the first time, in order to give or ask for information :
▪ I was given the names of three government officials to contact.
▪ After they received the bomb threat, school officials immediately contacted the police.
▷ get onto /get ˈɒntuː/ [transitive phrasal verb not usually in progressive] British spoken
to phone, write to, email etc someone in order to complain, explain, or ask for something :
▪ I’m afraid I can’t help you. You’d better get onto the foreign office.
▪ I’ll get onto Eddy and see if I can find out what’s going on.
▷ make contact with /ˌmeɪk ˈkɒntækt wɪðǁ-ˈkɑːn-/ [verb phrase]
to succeed in contacting someone, especially when this is difficult :
▪ The pilot finally managed to make contact with the control tower.
▪ I’ve managed to make contact with most of the people on the list.
▷ approach /əˈprəʊtʃ/ [transitive verb]
to contact someone that you do not know or have not contacted before, in order to offer them something or ask them for something :
▪ Nash has already been approached by several pro football teams.
approach somebody about something
▪ The company confirmed that it had been approached about a merger.
2. to regularly telephone, write to, email etc someone
▷ be in contact /biː ɪn ˈkɒntæktǁ-ˈkɑːn-/ [verb phrase]
to regularly telephone, write to, email etc someone so that you quickly find out about any news :
▪ Harrison maintains that the pair were not in contact for over 10 years.
be in contact with
▪ We’re in close contact with the Italian division of the company.
▪ John is no longer in contact with his family.
▷ keep in touch/stay in touch /ˌkiːp ɪn ˈtʌtʃ, ˌsteɪ ɪn ˈtʌtʃ/ [verb phrase]
to continue to see, speak to, or write to someone when you are no longer working with them, living near them etc :
▪ Linda and I stay in touch by sending occasional postcards.
▪ Have a safe trip back. Don’t forget to keep in touch.
keep in touch/stay in touch with
▪ I haven’t kept in touch with any of the people I went to school with.
▷ keep in contact /ˌkiːp ɪn ˈkɒntæktǁ-ˈkɑːn-/ [verb phrase]
to continue to write to, telephone, email etc someone although you are far away from them :
▪ We keep in contact, but I rarely see them.
keep in contact with
▪ I’ve kept in contact with several of my army buddies.
keep in contact by
▪ Teenagers keep in contact by text messaging on their mobile phones.
▷ communicate /kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪt, kəˈmjuːnəkeɪt/ [intransitive verb]
to exchange information or have a conversation with someone, by telephone, letter etc, or by seeing them :
communicate by phone/email/letter etc
▪ Now that we live in different cities, we communicate by e-mail.
communicate in writing
▪ They couldn’t communicate in writing, because William was illiterate.
3. to succeed in contacting someone by telephone
▷ get hold of /ˌget ˈhəʊld ɒv/ [verb phrase]
to succeed in contacting someone by telephone after trying several times :
▪ Where have you been? I’ve been trying to get hold of you all week.
▪ It’s no use trying to phone Linda at work -- she’s impossible to get hold of.
▷ get through /ˌget ˈθruː/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
to succeed in contacting someone by telephone, especially after a delay or technical problem :
▪ I finally got through, but it took several minutes.
get through to somebody
▪ By the way, did you get through to Sharon?
▪ I hate dealing with the bank over the phone. It takes ages to get through to the right person.
▷ reach /riːtʃ/ [transitive verb]
to contact someone by telephone - use this especially when you are saying whether you can or cannot contact them :
▪ You can reach me here through Friday. I leave for Denver Saturday.
▪ Have you been able to reach Neil?
4. when people write, speak etc to each other
▷ communication /kəˌmjuːnɪˈkeɪʃ ə n, kəˌmjuːnəˈkeɪʃ ə n/ [uncountable noun]
the activity or process of speaking, writing, or sending messages to other people :
▪ Good communication is vital in a large organization.
▪ There were some communication problems during the first phase of the project.
means of communication
▪ Radio was the pilot’s only means of communication.
▷ contact /ˈkɒntæktǁˈkɑːn-/ [uncountable noun]
communication between two people or groups - use this especially when you are talking about people who do not speak to each other very often :
contact between
▪ We need better contact between staff and management.
contact with
▪ ‘Have you had any other contact with him?’ asked the lawyer.
5. to no longer speak to or write to someone
▷ lose touch /ˌluːz ˈtʌtʃ/ [verb phrase not in passive]
to not speak to, write to, or see someone for a long time, so that finally you do not know where they are or what they are doing :
▪ It’s sad, but Wendy and I have lost touch.
lose touch with
▪ After Jason moved to Utah, I lost touch with him.
▷ lose contact /ˌluːz ˈkɒntæktǁ-ˈkɑːn-/ [verb phrase]
to no longer be able to contact someone by radio or electronic signals, as a result of technical problems :
lose contact with
▪ Air traffic control say they’ve lost contact with the plane.