call on
verb
called on; calling on; calls on
1
: to call upon
Is there anyone you can call on in an emergency?
2
: to elicit a response from (someone, such as a student)
the teacher called on her first
3
US, informal
: to directly criticize (someone) for (something, such as bad behavior)
She's incredibly rude, but no one ever calls her on it.
Examples of call on in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
On one recent Thursday night, dating app startup Known hosted a dating event at a swanky San Francisco cocktail lounge for people who completed their matchmaking call on the app.
—
Queenie Wong,
Los Angeles Times,
28 June 2026
But by calling on the government for help, Anthropic also faces a balancing act to make sure there’s enough regulation to protect the company’s edge over China but prevent overregulation that might hamper its business, according to Rolfes.
—
Mia Osmonbekov,
Fortune,
28 June 2026
At a Costilla County commission meeting on June 16 — after the county made the report public — community members called on Harrison to follow the report’s suggestions.
—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
28 June 2026
Building resilience Stephanie Niven, co-portfolio manager of the Global Sustainable Equity strategy at Ninety One, told CNBC on a call on Friday that her team took the view that the rise of intense weather conditions in Europe was creating a structural growth opportunity for investment.
—
Chloe Taylor,
CNBC,
27 June 2026
The National Marrow Donor Program had matched him with a woman battling a rare blood disease, calling on him to donate peripheral blood stem cells through a long blood draw.
—
Rylan Digiacomo-Rapp,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 June 2026
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin also praised the selection, saying Schroyer’s background positions him to advance the administration's immigration enforcement goals and called on the Senate to act quickly to confirm him.
—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
27 June 2026
Hannah Waddingham soaks in the sun at the Ride Or Die photo call on June 24 in London.
—
People Staff,
PEOPLE,
27 June 2026
Several teams, including the Montreal Canadiens, are calling on Marchenko.
—
Pierre Lebrun,
New York Times,
27 June 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Queenie Wong,
Los Angeles Times,
28 June 2026
But by calling on the government for help, Anthropic also faces a balancing act to make sure there’s enough regulation to protect the company’s edge over China but prevent overregulation that might hamper its business, according to Rolfes.
—
Mia Osmonbekov,
Fortune,
28 June 2026
At a Costilla County commission meeting on June 16 — after the county made the report public — community members called on Harrison to follow the report’s suggestions.
—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
28 June 2026
Building resilience Stephanie Niven, co-portfolio manager of the Global Sustainable Equity strategy at Ninety One, told CNBC on a call on Friday that her team took the view that the rise of intense weather conditions in Europe was creating a structural growth opportunity for investment.
—
Chloe Taylor,
CNBC,
27 June 2026
The National Marrow Donor Program had matched him with a woman battling a rare blood disease, calling on him to donate peripheral blood stem cells through a long blood draw.
—
Rylan Digiacomo-Rapp,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 June 2026
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin also praised the selection, saying Schroyer’s background positions him to advance the administration's immigration enforcement goals and called on the Senate to act quickly to confirm him.
—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
27 June 2026
Hannah Waddingham soaks in the sun at the Ride Or Die photo call on June 24 in London.
—
People Staff,
PEOPLE,
27 June 2026
Several teams, including the Montreal Canadiens, are calling on Marchenko.
—
Pierre Lebrun,
New York Times,
27 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Call on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/call%20on. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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