click on

Meaning

To press a button on a mouse or tap a screen to select, activate, or open something on a digital device. It is one of the most fundamental actions in modern computing. The tone is completely neutral and practical.

Examples

• To open the link, just click on the blue text.

  To open the link, just click on the blue text.

• You need to click on the 'Submit' button at the bottom of the page.

  You need to click on the 'Submit' button at the bottom of the page.

• Please do not click on suspicious links in emails from unknown senders.

  Please do not click on suspicious links in emails from unknown senders.

• I accidentally clicked on an ad while trying to close the browser window.

  I accidentally clicked on an ad while trying to close the browser window.

• If you click on the image, it will expand to full size.

  If you click on the image, it will expand to full size.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ Click at the icon to open the application.

  ✓ Click on the icon to open the application.

  Do not use the preposition 'at'. The correct phrasal verb is 'click on', though 'click' alone is also acceptable.

• ✗ I clicked in the link but nothing happened.

  ✓ I clicked on the link but nothing happened.

  The correct preposition for selecting digital links or buttons is 'on', not 'in'.

Related Expressions

Practice

• To download the file, you need to ___ the green button.

  💡 A phrasal verb meaning to select something with a mouse.

  Show answer

  click on

• Don't ___ that pop-up window; it might be a virus.

  💡 Press or select with your mouse cursor.

  Show answer

  click on