Herein, we describe a previously unreported formation of acridines from triarylcarbinols under acidic conditions. Thus, treatment of tertiary alcs. with conc. aq. HCl in glacial AcOH at 90° provided 9-phenylacridines in 91-92% yield. The starting tertiary alcs. were prepd. by double addn. of ortho-lithiated pivaloyl anilines to benzoyl chloride in 76 and 68% yield, resp. Overall, the two-step ortho-lithiation cyclization sequence constitutes a convenient approach to 9-phenylacridines.