helpline
noun
help·line
ˈhelp-ˌlīn 
Southern often ˈhep-,
also ˈheəp-
variants
or less commonly help line
plural helplines also help lines
: a phone service providing help or assistance: such as
a
: a telephone service that is usually available to the public and that provides advice, support, resources, etc. for some specific purpose (such as crisis intervention)
a free/confidential/24-hour helpline
He's also a peer support specialist for DeQH, a helpline for South Asian LGBTQ people.—
Rose Brennan
Rose BrennanCalls to state addiction help lines have risen, as have alcohol use, drug overdoses and relapse rates, experts have said.—Steve Janoski
Steve Janoski… helpline volunteers offer support and basic information, locate treatment options in your area, and can help you find answers to any questions you may have.—Radhika Menon
Radhika Menon
b
: a customer service line to provide support (such as technical support) for a product, service, etc.
Before making your purchase, phone the software vendor's customer helpline to make sure customer representatives are knowledgeable.—Eric Berg
Eric BergA user's guide, software documentation, and telephone helpline are included.—Carol Tenopir
Carol TenopirAll week, Mata and other staffers have spent hours calling help lines set up by drug plan providers, only to get constant busy signals.—Nicole Foy
Nicole FoyExamples of helpline in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Families needing help finding the right summer camp or activity can call the 211 helpline or visit 211miami.org/SummerCamps to see many great programs in one place.
—Yvette Thompson-Echevarria, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2025
Find other international suicide helplines at Befrienders Worldwide (befrienders.org).
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 14 Apr. 2025
United Way Worldwide collected data from nearly 17 million 211 helpline calls in 2024 and found assistance with housing, utilities and food were the most common requests from families in the U.S., with utility assistance referrals up 12% since 2022.
—Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2025
Getting rid of the Social Security telephone helpline that assists millions of elderly and disabled benefit recipients (a recent DOGE outrage) would not have crossed the minds of anyone involved in the Clinton-era efforts.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for helpline
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show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Yvette Thompson-Echevarria, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2025
Find other international suicide helplines at Befrienders Worldwide (befrienders.org).
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 14 Apr. 2025
United Way Worldwide collected data from nearly 17 million 211 helpline calls in 2024 and found assistance with housing, utilities and food were the most common requests from families in the U.S., with utility assistance referrals up 12% since 2022.
—Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2025
Getting rid of the Social Security telephone helpline that assists millions of elderly and disabled benefit recipients (a recent DOGE outrage) would not have crossed the minds of anyone involved in the Clinton-era efforts.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for helpline
Cite this Entry
“Helpline.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/helpline. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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