1
as in to distract
to draw the attention or mind to something else
she was about to tell me the big news when her attention was called off by the arrival of another guest
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to cancel
to put an end to (something planned or previously agreed to)
called off the party after half of those invited couldn't make it
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of call off
Last week, an elementary school in Fairfield, Connecticut, called off McMahon’s visit amid intense backlash from parents.
—
Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
The streamer’s annual party, which was called off last year due to the Los Angeles fires, is a hot-ticket event each Grammy year, welcoming roughly 1,500 industry attendees for a night of music and mingling.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 30 Jan. 2026
Several of the skiers who competed crashed; officials called off the rest of the race after Vonn’s spill.
—Outside, 30 Jan. 2026
Afterward, she was airlifted off the course, and the race was called off.
—Becky Sullivan, NPR, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for call off
Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
The streamer’s annual party, which was called off last year due to the Los Angeles fires, is a hot-ticket event each Grammy year, welcoming roughly 1,500 industry attendees for a night of music and mingling.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 30 Jan. 2026
Several of the skiers who competed crashed; officials called off the rest of the race after Vonn’s spill.
—Outside, 30 Jan. 2026
Afterward, she was airlifted off the course, and the race was called off.
—Becky Sullivan, NPR, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for call off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for call off
Verb
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They were seen by the clergy, for example, to be distracted by chocolate, drinking it and gossiping instead of paying attention to mass.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
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State transportation officials argued that street art is distracting and can pose a risk to drivers.—
Susannah Bryan,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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To avoid this, cancel and sign in to YouTube on your computer.—
Nicole Acevedo,
NBC news,
8 Feb. 2026
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China retaliated by canceling flights, restricting imports of Japanese seafood and ramping up military patrols, among other measures.—
Yumi Asada,
CNN Money,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Law enforcement officers had removed the mouth of the irrigation tube diverting water from a nearby creek, but all the piping remained.—
Rachel Becker,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Feb. 2026
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Endless overseas conflicts put American lives at risk, drain our resources and divert attention from domestic priorities.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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One is that OpenAI’s board has apparently abandoned its mission of safety.—
Alnoor Ebrahim,
The Conversation,
13 Feb. 2026
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The tech mogul, who helped found OpenAI, sued Altman and the company in 2024, accusing them of abandoning the firm’s founding values and manipulating him into investing in the ChatGPT maker.—
Julia Shapero,
The Hill,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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When 18 swans are in a perfectly straight line on the stage, just one dancer whose head is tilted a few degrees higher than the others will throw off the power of the image.—
David Lyman,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
5 Feb. 2026
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That threw off the Dolphins offense to the point, even now, offensive coordinator Dave Shula remembers not adjusting quickly enough.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Perhaps there was no better response than scrapping through a 3-2 win over defending Div.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
7 Feb. 2026
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Also, when Camp Century was decommissioned around five years after Project Iceworm was scrapped, the Army left hazardous waste behind, such as up to 52,000 gallons of diesel and radioactive materials, residues from the small nuclear reactor that had powered the base.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In addition, the California Department of Public Health revoked the licenses of more than 280 hospices over the past two years and has identified about 300 more hospices under review for possible license revocation, according to the governor’s office.—
Linh Tat,
Daily News,
8 Feb. 2026
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The city closed Maht Gaek and revoked the establishment’s health permit until the violations could be corrected and a follow-up inspection conducted.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The plane was reportedly traveling at 103 mph when it was instructed to abort the takeoff, according to local outlet KSAT.—
Natalia Senanayake,
PEOPLE,
29 Jan. 2026
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Pilots on the Mesa Airlines flight decided that the separation between their craft and the one taking off was insufficient and initiated a go-around, in which a landing is aborted.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Call off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/call%20off. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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