Etymology From robo- + call. First use appears c. 1998 in the Associated Press Newswire.
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US An automated phone call, commonly for telemarketing purposes, that uses both an autodialer and a recorded message.
The e-mailers are upset about “robocalls”—pre-recorded, automated phone calls containing anti-Democratic political messages.2006 November 6, Frank James, “GOP 'robocalls' enrage Democrats”, in Chicago Tribune:
Rand Paul’s presidential campaign has drafted in his father, libertarian icon Ron Paul, to directly attack Republican rival Ted Cruz in a robocall in Iowa, the first time the former presidential candidate has gone on the offensive on his son’s behalf.2016 January 13, Ben Jacobs, “Ron Paul criticizes Cruz's absence from Fed vote in support of son's campaign”, in The Guardian:
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Things are at least as bad on mobile phones, which were the lucky recipients of 48 billion robocalls in the United States alone last year.2019 March 1, Gail Collins, “Let’s Destroy Robocalls”, in New York Times:
robocall
verb
Etymology From robo- + call. First use appears c. 1998 in the Associated Press Newswire.
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To make a robocall to.
Republicans robo-called Americans during their dinner and evening hours, blaming the annoying calls on Democrats.2007, Jackson Thoreau, Born to Cheat: How Bush, Cheney, Rove & Co. Broke the Rules—from the Sandlot to the White House, page 197: