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
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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
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Recent Examples of calling off
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
Years after calling off their first engagement, Affleck and Lopez reconnected then married in 2022.
—Sarah Jones, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
But lately, more buyers are calling off their deals to look for better ones.
—Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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
Years after calling off their first engagement, Affleck and Lopez reconnected then married in 2022.
—Sarah Jones, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
But lately, more buyers are calling off their deals to look for better ones.
—Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for calling off
Noun
-
This is not a marginal activity but a consolidated and expanding sector that has operated under a legal framework since the repeal of PASPA in 2018, and whose sustainability depends largely on the visibility of legal operators.—
Cláudia Nunes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
-
After consecutive years of other legislation that sought an outright repeal of the Medicaid expansion over rising expense to taxpayers, the work requirements bill was branded a compromise to rein in costs.—
Kevin Fixler,
Idaho Statesman,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Not all Mauss’s material lends equally well to visualizations, and there are moments in the special when the animations are more distracting than additive.—
Hershal Pandya,
Vulture,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The combination with the neutral dark-blue jean skirt keeps the look still feeling grown-up and not too distracting.—
Jana Ackermann,
Glamour,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Indigo is one of a handful of airlines that are rerouting and canceling flights to avoid Pakistan’s airspace.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Soundcore Earbuds Deal The Soundcore P31i earbuds pack flagship technology into a pocket-sized design, featuring adaptive noise cancelling that can silence up to 52dB of external roar.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Lori listens in dumbfounded silence, keeping her eyes on the prize, and trying not to roll them when Julian makes a comment about the dearth of great women artists—the kind of remark that earned him a close brush with cancellation in the past.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Others experience frustration with cancellations.—
Rebecca Strong,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Iran war is currently a top priority for the United States and risks diverting resources that Kyiv needs, such as air defense systems, while providing Russia with windfall profits through high energy prices.—
Lorne Cook,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Prosecutors said the scheme netted Smith more than $8 million by diverting royalty payments away from legitimate artists.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Californians are abandoning the Golden State, chiefly because of high housing costs and finding better luck at becoming homeowners elsewhere, a new study found.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The Safari shut down in 1978 after passengers kept abandoning their Jeeps mid-trip.—
Abbey Briscoe,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The approaching Easter holiday often means an increase in the purchase and gifting of live rabbits, and a resulting spike in abandonments.—
Sharon Chin,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
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In spite of a seismic crossing of the technological Rubicon, an abandonment of the centuries-old deference to the naked eye, a codifying and calcifying of the most atomic-level building block of the sport, baseball mostly just looked like baseball.—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 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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Staff say the theft forced them to reshuffle routes, delay pickups and scramble to notify parents – throwing off entire school days.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Calling off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/calling%20off. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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