call off

verb

called off; calling off; calls off

transitive verb

1

: to draw away : divert

2

: cancel

Synonyms of call off

• distract
• divert
• throw off

Examples of call off in a Sentence

she was about to tell me the big news when her attention was called off by the arrival of another guest

called off the party after half of those invited couldn't make it

Recent Examples on the Web

Engineers regained control, but Link didn’t have enough fuel left to carry out its job, and the rescue effort was called off in August. — Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026

The Central Park Conservancy, which operates the park, agreed calling off the concert was the right move. — Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 25 Sep. 2026

The pair called off their engagement in March, just a month before they were slated to marry in Italy. — Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2026

According to a report from Marc Weiszer of the Athens Banner-Herald, Georgia and Clemson mutually agreed to call off the four nonconference games scheduled to be played on campus from 2029 through 2033. — Connor Riley, AJC.com, 22 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for call off

• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff
• playoff

Kids Definition

call off

verb

1

: to draw away : divert

call off a dog

2

: cancel sense 2a

call off a meeting