get through to — make contact by phone
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
to succeed in reaching someone by telephone after trying to call them.
Say it like a native
Textbook I was unable to establish telephone contact with their office.
Native I couldn't get through to their office.
'Get through to' is the natural phone phrase; 'establish telephone contact' is a memo.
Pattern: get through to + someone
In use
- I tried calling her all morning, but I couldn't get through to her.communication
- Sometimes it's difficult to get through to customer service because the lines are so busy.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ I finally got through with the helpline.
✓ I finally got through to the helpline.
For reaching someone by phone, it's 'get through TO' — not 'with'.
Common collocations
get through to + number/person— to the office, to customer service, eventually, on the phone
Don't confuse it
Not about understanding; this is about making a phone connection.
Related
- get through to (make someone understand) — Another meaning of 'get through to' is 'make someone understand'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.