How to Make Up an Excuse to Get Off the Phone

When you find yourself on a phone call that you want to get off of, there are a variety of excuses you can use to do so. Although lying is never good, sometimes it’s okay to fib a little to get out of a phone call when it isn’t the right moment to talk. The easiest ways to do so are to use situational or phone-related excuses to end the conversation or postpone it for later. Remember to always keep your word and call people back if you say you’re going to.

Method 1
Method 1 of 11:
Pretend someone is at your door and you have to hang up to go get it.

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    Tell the caller that you just heard someone knocking at your door or ringing the doorbell and that you need to go see who it is. Tell them you will call them back after you deal with it.[1]
    • To make this excuse more realistic, knock on something wooden to make it sound like a knock on your door, or quietly open your front door and ring the doorbell.

    Tip: You could also say that you have people coming over and they just got to the door, so you have to go let them in and can’t talk any more right now.

Method 2
Method 2 of 11:
Say that you are in the middle of something and that you will call them back.

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    Make up any household task or errand that you might realistically be doing. Tell the caller it’s not a good time to talk and that you will have to talk to them later.[2]
    • For example, you could say you are in the middle of cleaning, grocery shopping, cooking, getting dressed, or anything else you can think of on the spot.

Method 3
Method 3 of 11:
Say you are about to eat right now and you can’t talk.

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    Tell the caller you just sat down for a meal, so it’s not a good time to talk. Ask them to call you back later or tell them you will call them back when you’re done eating.[3]
    • If the caller persists, say something like: “My food is getting cold, I will talk to you later after I eat.” or “I am sitting down to eat with friends and I don’t want to be rude, so I have to go.”
    • Keep in mind that this excuse will work best if you use it around a typical meal time.

Method 4
Method 4 of 11:
Tell the caller you are about to go to sleep and will talk to them later.

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    Put on your best sleepy voice and say you are about to go to bed or that you are in the middle of taking a nap. Ask the caller to call you back another time when you are awake enough to talk to them.[4]
    • Try adding a fake yawn or act super drowsy and half-asleep for an extra touch.
    • Make sure you adapt this excuse to the time of day. For example, it would make most sense to say you are going to bed at night around a normal bedtime, whereas saying you are taking a nap would be more believable if it is the middle of a Sunday afternoon.

Method 5
Method 5 of 11:
Say you have a meeting or conference call coming up and you need to hang up.

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    Check the time quickly and say you have a meeting or conference call at the next quarter of the hour so it’s believable. Tell the caller you have to get ready and need to hang up.
    • For example, if it is 4:22, say you have a conference call at 4:30 and need to organize yourself for it.
    • This excuse will be most believable if you use it during standard business hours.

Method 6
Method 6 of 11:
Pretend that you just remembered an important responsibility and have to go.

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    Interrupt the caller and say that you just remembered something you need to take care of urgently. Act like you are in a rush, say you will talk to them later, and hang up the phone.[5]
    • For instance, you could say something like: “I just remembered I have to pick up my nephew from soccer practice in 15 minutes, I have to go, bye!” or “Oh no, I just realized I have to go pick up my suit from the dry cleaner before they close at 5, I need to get going, bye!”

Method 7
Method 7 of 11:
Say you have to go to the bathroom and will talk to the caller later.

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    Tell the caller you urgently need to go to the bathroom. Ask them to call back later or say that you will call them back.[6]
    • This is a great excuse to get off the phone fast. Most people will feel pretty awkward when you tell them you urgently need to go to the bathroom and won’t try to keep you on the line.
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    Make up a family emergency if you really need to get off the phone. Say that someone just texted you about a death in the family or someone in the hospital and you need to hang up immediately. Use this as a last resort excuse. Most callers will not try to keep you on the line after you say something like this.
    • Be very careful who you use this excuse to get off the phone with. Don’t use it on anyone that you are close to who it could affect emotionally.

Method 8
Method 8 of 11:
Tell the caller you are getting another call you need to take.

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    Pretend like someone else is calling you and that you need to take the call. Then say that you will call them back later and hang up the phone.[7]
    • If you are talking on your mobile phone and have a landline nearby, you can turn up the ringer volume on the landline so it makes a ringing sound that the caller can hear through your mobile phone.

Method 9
Method 9 of 11:
Say your phone is about to die so you have to hang up.

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    Act like you just checked your battery and it is getting low so your phone might die. Say you need to hang up to preserve the battery because you can’t plug it in to charge it right now.[8]
    • If you are really desperate to get off the phone, say your phone is about to die and then hang up right away. Turn your phone off or on airplane mode so that if the caller calls back it will seem like your phone really did die.

Method 10
Method 10 of 11:
Pretend you are losing service and can’t hear the caller.

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    Say you are on the move and your signal is getting weak. Tell the caller you can’t hear them well and will have to call them back when you have better service.[9]
    • You can turn up the drama on this excuse and act like you don’t hear anything they are saying, then hang up. Say something like: “Hello, hello? Are you there? I think I’m losing service. I can’t hear…” Then hang up.

Method 11
Method 11 of 11:
Say that your phone is acting funny for some reason and you will talk later.

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    Say your phone is making weird sounds or the screen is acting strangely. Tell the caller that you need to hang up to figure out what is wrong.[10]
    • For example, say something like: “I’m really sorry, but the audio on my phone sounds weird and it’s really hard to hear you. Can I hang up and call you back later after I figure out what’s wrong?”

    Tip: Whenever you tell someone you will call them back later, make sure to do so. If the caller isn’t important at all, such as a telemarketer, then you can always just hang up.

Community Q&A

  • Question
    How do I leave a call without being mean? Because whenever I say I've got to go, they ask why and I go blank.
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Just tell them you have to clean your room, get in the shower, eat dinner, run to the store, etc. If all else fails, just tell them you don't really like talking on the phone.
  • Question
    What can I tell someone who I have been chatting with, but I don't want to call me?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Tell them your phone is about to die, or that you have something to do.
  • Question
    How do I get off the phone with a clingy girlfriend?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    You should (calmly and gently) talk to her about her clingy behavior. Let her know that you need a little space and tell her specifically what she's doing or saying that you find clingy. Tell her that you love her, but you just can't be on the phone with her constantly.
  • Question
    How do I get my younger sister off my phone so I can play on it?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Say you need to make an urgent call and that it is important, then walk off to your room and play the game. When she asks for it back just say, "Oh, I will give it to you later, I need to search for some answers for my homework." Or just tell her it's your phone and you want to use it, end of story.
  • Question
    What do I do if it seems obvious when I'm making up an excuse to get off the phone?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    It probably just seems obvious to you because you know you're lying. Don't overthink it. Just say, "Well, I've gotta go [insert excuse] now, but I'll talk to you soon." Keep it short and sweet, and choose a simple excuse, nothing too elaborate.
  • Question
    How do I make up an excuse if I just want to play a game on my phone?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Follow the instructions listed in the article above.
  • Question
    How can I send an excuse message to a caller when I cannot answer their phone calls?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Text them," Sorry, I can't talk right now." Then call them back eventually.
  • Question
    How do I come up with an excuse for hanging up on my parent on the phone?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    While you could embellish and say that your phone company was doing maintenance on the lines, so you got disconnected and couldn't call back for a while, it's a whole lot easier to just say: "It has been great talking with you but I've got to go now. I'll call you later (or next week, etc.)." There is no need to make an excuse, everyone gets that life is busy and we don't have time to stand around nattering all day.
  • Question
    How do you make sure nobody knows you're just getting off the phone with them because you are bored? Is it mean?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    You could say that someone else is calling, someone really important or that the doorbell just rang or maybe even that your mom wants you to get off the phone and go do a chore. If you have been talking for a bit or the conversation is starting to loose momentum, then it is in no way rude to end it.
  • Question
    What if I am talking to my dad?
    Gavin Donnelly
    Gavin Donnelly
    Community Answer
    Be careful what excuse you use. It would be best to say you just remembered you have to do something important and will have to call him back, then make sure to actually call him back.
Show more answers

Warnings

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References

  1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSXppc7HV6k&feature=youtu.be&t=20
  2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSXppc7HV6k&feature=youtu.be&t=35
  3. ↑ https://www.chiclypoised.com/excuses-people-use-to-get-off-the-phone-number-8-will-crack-you-up/
  4. ↑ https://www.chiclypoised.com/excuses-people-use-to-get-off-the-phone-number-8-will-crack-you-up/
  5. ↑ https://iheartintelligence.com/talkative-person/
  6. ↑ https://www.mannersmentor.com/how-to-politely-excuse-yourself-from-a-talkative-person/
  7. ↑ https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/excuse-yourself-conversation-gracefully
  8. ↑ https://www.chiclypoised.com/excuses-people-use-to-get-off-the-phone-number-8-will-crack-you-up/
  9. ↑ https://www.chiclypoised.com/excuses-people-use-to-get-off-the-phone-number-8-will-crack-you-up/
  1. ↑ https://www.chiclypoised.com/excuses-people-use-to-get-off-the-phone-number-8-will-crack-you-up/

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wikiHow Staff
Co-authored by:
wikiHow Staff
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This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. This article has been viewed 268,608 times.
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Co-authors: 35
Updated: September 22, 2021
Views: 268,608
Categories: Phone Skills
Article SummaryX

If you need to make up an excuse to get off the phone, say you have an incoming call on the other line. For example, you could say "I have another call. I have to go." You could also crinkle up a piece of paper near the phone to pretend you have bad reception. Just say something like "Sorry, I can't hear you. I will have to call you later." You could also say something simple, like "Something just came up. I need to go" without giving any specific details. To learn how to keep phone conversations short, scroll down!

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