cannot establish contact with

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "cannot establish contact with" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used in contexts where communication or connection is attempted but unsuccessful, such as in technical or interpersonal situations. Example: "We are currently experiencing issues and cannot establish contact with the server."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

If a patient should miss two consecutive follow-up visits and the investigator cannot establish contact with the patient, the status of the patient will be set to 'lost-to-follow-up'.

BMC Cancer

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

To be entitled to this protection, the websites must either facilitate contact between the complainant and the author or remove the offending material when they cannot establish contact.

BBC

He said that he had made many efforts to establish contact with Mr. Milosevic, without success.

The New York Times

I advise students in this situation to establish contact with key course admin/academic staff".

The Guardian

It took another month for his family to establish contact with him, he said.

The Guardian

The CIA attempted to establish contact with Hamas in spite of a US ban.

The Guardian

I attempted to establish contact with Santo Domingo's family.

Vice

But does it make sense for us to try to establish contact with alien life?

Huffington Post

He said efforts to establish contact with some families were still underway.

Los Angeles Times

He also started to establish contact with us very quickly.

Unicef

We cannot exclude that a first round of transcription, for example in early G1, is required for loci to adopt their favorite position in the nucleus and to establish contacts with other loci [45].

Plosone

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "cannot establish contact with", clearly state who or what you are trying to contact to avoid ambiguity. For example, instead of saying "We cannot establish contact with them", specify "We cannot establish contact with the client".

Common error

Avoid using "cannot establish contact with" without providing context. For example, don't just say "Contact could not be established." Instead, specify the entity or person you were unable to reach.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "cannot establish contact with" functions as a declarative statement indicating an inability to connect or communicate with a person, entity, or system. Ludwig indicates its usage across diverse domains.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

30%

Formal & Business

30%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "cannot establish contact with" is a grammatically correct expression used to describe the inability to connect or communicate. As noted by Ludwig, it appears in various contexts, ranging from scientific publications to news reports and formal business communications. While semantically similar phrases like "unable to reach" or "failed to connect with" exist, "cannot establish contact with" maintains a level of formality suitable for diverse scenarios. When employing this phrase, clarity is paramount; clearly specify the entity or person that could not be reached to avoid ambiguity. Overall, this phrase serves as a clear and concise way to convey the absence of communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

unable to reach

Replaces "establish contact" with "reach", simplifying the phrase.

unable to make contact with

Similar in meaning, but uses "make contact" instead of "establish contact".

failed to connect with

Emphasizes the failure of the connection attempt.

could not get in touch with

More informal, focusing on the act of getting in touch.

unable to communicate with

Focuses specifically on the inability to communicate.

no communication established with

A more formal and passive construction.

no contact could be established with

Passive voice, emphasizing the lack of established connection.

lost communication with

Indicates a previous connection that has been lost.

out of contact with

States a current state of being out of contact.

connection could not be made with

Highlights the failed attempt to make a connection.

FAQs

What does "cannot establish contact with" mean?

It means that attempts to communicate or connect with someone or something have been unsuccessful. This could be due to technical issues, lack of response, or other reasons preventing communication.

What can I say instead of "cannot establish contact with"?

You can use alternatives like "unable to reach", "failed to connect with", or "could not get in touch with" depending on the context.

Is it formal to say "cannot establish contact with"?

The phrase "cannot establish contact with" is relatively neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts. However, more informal alternatives like "could not get in touch with" may be more appropriate in casual settings.

When is it appropriate to use "cannot establish contact with"?

It's appropriate when you want to clearly state that attempts to connect or communicate have been unsuccessful, whether due to technical problems, lack of response, or other hindering factors.