as in repeal
the act of putting an end to something planned or previously agreed to
the calling off of the senior prom is not going to go over well
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in distracting
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in canceling
to put an end to (something planned or previously agreed to)
called off the party after half of those invited couldn't make it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of calling off
Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 15 Apr. 2026
The recent release of video from the incident led to ABC calling off Paul’s season of The Bachelorette right before it was set to premiere.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2026
In a statement, DHS told WJZ that nearly 500 TSA officers have quit during the shutdown, and thousands more are calling off work.
—Tara Lynch, CBS News, 27 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
Yet calling off the face-to-face visit with Chinese President Xi Jinping could have its own major economic consequences as relations between the world's two biggest economies remain fraught over tariffs and other issues.
—Arkansas Online, 17 Mar. 2026
The news that Glass was calling off his appearance also caught off guard the National Symphony Orchestra.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2026
The university cited budget cuts as the reason for calling off this year's dinner for the first time in its almost 60-year history, according to a letter posted by the Black Student Union.
—Heather Bushman, IndyStar, 16 Jan. 2026
Coffman said that shows officers and their supervisors are judiciously calling off pursuits that become too dangerous.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
In her interviews, Kardashian recalls her experience which included taking care of him after his overdose and even calling off their divorce proceedings amid his recovery.
—Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 15 Apr. 2026
The recent release of video from the incident led to ABC calling off Paul’s season of The Bachelorette right before it was set to premiere.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2026
In a statement, DHS told WJZ that nearly 500 TSA officers have quit during the shutdown, and thousands more are calling off work.
—Tara Lynch, CBS News, 27 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
Yet calling off the face-to-face visit with Chinese President Xi Jinping could have its own major economic consequences as relations between the world's two biggest economies remain fraught over tariffs and other issues.
—Arkansas Online, 17 Mar. 2026
The news that Glass was calling off his appearance also caught off guard the National Symphony Orchestra.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2026
The university cited budget cuts as the reason for calling off this year's dinner for the first time in its almost 60-year history, according to a letter posted by the Black Student Union.
—Heather Bushman, IndyStar, 16 Jan. 2026
Coffman said that shows officers and their supervisors are judiciously calling off pursuits that become too dangerous.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 27 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for calling off
Noun
-
Thompson Willett founded it in 1936, three years after the repeal of Prohibition, on land his family had farmed for the better part of a century.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
But no one on the council suggested an immediate repeal.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
The formal obligation to bow or curtsy will force targets to bend a knee and break eye contact—a perfect opening for the President to place something distracting like a Twix bar on their heads.—
Dahlia Gallin Ramirez,
New Yorker,
9 June 2026
-
Reid plays this so well, but the direction is a little over the top, with drug-trip visuals that are too distracting to follow the dense-as-ever disjointed narration.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Trump posted about canceling the strikes soon after the meeting, the officials said.—
Sarah Dean,
NBC news,
12 June 2026
-
As 404 Media reports, Northern District of Mississippi judge Sharion Aycock berated everybody involved in a sanctions order, ultimately fining them, canceling the trial, and barring half of them from appearing in the district’s court for two years.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Confirm refund and cancellation policies before purchasing tickets, lodging, or travel packages.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
12 June 2026
-
Allow cancellation or returns without games; plainly state pro-rating or refund rules; provide easy access to invoices, history or data; and keep the tone respectful with no guilt language.—
Michael Goshka,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
This journey requires them to climb fish ladders over dams, navigate culverts diverting streams under roads, and ascend up to elevations of 7,000 feet.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
12 June 2026
-
With nearly 20% of the world’s global oil flows initially disrupted by the war, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are diverting more volumes via pipelines.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
The move suggests a broader shift in Tehran, where a new generation of leaders is increasingly abandoning the cautious, reactive approach that long defined the Islamic Republic’s strategy towards its adversaries.—
Abbas Al Lawati,
CNN Money,
10 June 2026
-
These networks are viewed with less enthusiasm in the age of streaming, because more consumers are abandoning their cable subscriptions in favor of streaming services.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
The criteria include frantic efforts to avoid abandonment, having unstable relationships, identity disturbance, impulsive behavior, chronic feelings of emptiness, intense anger, emotional instability, paranoia or dissociation under stress, and recurrent suicidal behavior or self-harm.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
11 June 2026
-
The ballad also aligns with the perspective of Jessie’s (Joan Cusack) abandonment and eventual joining of Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz’s (Tim Allen) crew of toys that once belonged to Andy and now live with Bonnie.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
McKee did not appear as sharp during under-center individual drills, often throwing off-target balls — apparently because of timing.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
-
Chip stocks, however, stumbled; bitcoin is hovering at its weakest since the war began, private credit is throwing off sparks again — and a flesh-eating parasite has turned up in Texas.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
5 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Calling off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/calling%20off. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
