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
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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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Recent Examples of call off
An attorney for the team previously said the questioning would center on comments Reinsdorf made to the media in the days after the shooting, as well as the team’s decision to not call off the rest of the game after the shooting occurred, though a postgame concert with Vanilla Ice was called off.
—
Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
Amazon called off its purchase of robot vacuum maker iRobot in 2024 after facing regulatory hurdles in Europe and the United States.
—ABC News, 24 Mar. 2026
An increasing number of TSA officers have been calling off work, leading to staffing shortages inside airport security and lengthy screening lines at some airports.
—Gloria Pazmino, CNN Money, 23 Mar. 2026
Women's Bracket Roundup Some of the first and second round women’s tournament games probably could’ve been called off by halftime.
—Tim Rohan, NBC news, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for call off
Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
Amazon called off its purchase of robot vacuum maker iRobot in 2024 after facing regulatory hurdles in Europe and the United States.
—ABC News, 24 Mar. 2026
An increasing number of TSA officers have been calling off work, leading to staffing shortages inside airport security and lengthy screening lines at some airports.
—Gloria Pazmino, CNN Money, 23 Mar. 2026
Women's Bracket Roundup Some of the first and second round women’s tournament games probably could’ve been called off by halftime.
—Tim Rohan, NBC news, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for call off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for call off
Verb
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The Sear/Sauté function gets quite hot even on its low setting, so some of my garlic got a shade too brown while I was distracted opening the can of tomato paste.—
Callie Sumlin,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
3 Apr. 2026
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Colorado State Patrol is reminding all drivers that distracted driving can lead to life or death consequences.—
Brian Sherrod,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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His insurance company had even cancelled his homeowner’s policy, because he was deemed too great a risk.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Next to the Western Wall is Al Aqsa Mosque compound, Islam’s third-holiest site, which has also stood empty since the war started, canceling prayers during most of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which ended 10 days ago.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Data centers have sparked backlash from communities across the state that are worried about higher utility bills, strained power grids and water being diverted away from families to cool servers at massive data centers.—
Brendan Steinhauser,
Sun Sentinel,
1 Apr. 2026
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The flight crew initiated bomb threat protocol after hearing the threat and diverted the plane to Detroit Metro Airport, where it was isolated for a full security check, according to an FBI affidavit filed with the complaint.—
Eric Henderson,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Administrator Crystal Ruth switches on dozens of heat lamps that radiate a yellow hue to warm at least 80 disabled, abandoned or formerly abused animals that call the rescue home.—
Julian Camejo,
Miami Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
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It sat abandoned until 1969, when a group of Native American activists occupied the island and remained there for the next two years, according to NPS.—
Noe Padilla,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But a number of architects and preservation groups provided their opinions of the 90,000 square foot project, generally characterizing it as way out of scale with the Executive Residence, the main part of the White House, while throwing off the symmetry of the grounds.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2026
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But state lawmakers estimate a quarter to half of current enrollees — as many as 40,000 people — would be thrown off the Medicaid expansion under the requirements in House Bill 913 and forced to find coverage another way, or go without.—
Kevin Fixler,
Idaho Statesman,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The office of the vice president was scrapped in 1972 following a constitutional referendum.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Apr. 2026
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A week ago, the administrator also moved to scrap plans to build a lunar space station called Gateway in favor of developing a base on the Moon’s surface.—
Rob Pegoraro,
PC Magazine,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Forty-five years after Wong Kim Ark’s victory, the justices were pushed – after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor – to overturn that ruling and revoke citizenship for Japanese Americans born in the United States.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
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According to Celina police, the Texas Education Agency recently completed administrative action that permanently revoked Elliott's educator certificate.—
Doug Myers,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The flight was forced to abort its landing.—
Sharyn Alfonsi,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
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Just before Sunday’s collision, controllers were dealing with another plane that had declared an emergency after aborting a takeoff and smelling an odor on the plane.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Call off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/call%20off. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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