telephone tag
noun /ˈtelɪfəʊn tæɡ/
/ˈtelɪfəʊn tæɡ/
(also phone tag)
[uncountable] (North American English, informal)- a situation in which two people repeatedly call each other on the phone and leave messages, but never actually speak to each other
- We played telephone tag for several days before I was able to reach him.