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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of call off
The football team’s game last week against George Washington was called off and will not be made up.
—
Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 21 Sep. 2025
Back in 2023, Aerosmith called off their Peace Out … Farewell Tour after three shows because Tyler fractured his larynx onstage.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 19 Sep. 2025
After the wedding was called off, Belly flew to Paris to start a new chapter in her life without the Fisher brothers.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
While visiting their mom's grave on the fifth anniversary of her death, the estranged brothers talk for the first time since Conrad's last-minute confession of love spurred Belly to call off her wedding to Jeremiah, and amidst the anger, Jeremiah gave Conrad his pseudo permission to pursue Belly.
—Julia Moore, People.com, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for call off
Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 21 Sep. 2025
Back in 2023, Aerosmith called off their Peace Out … Farewell Tour after three shows because Tyler fractured his larynx onstage.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 19 Sep. 2025
After the wedding was called off, Belly flew to Paris to start a new chapter in her life without the Fisher brothers.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
While visiting their mom's grave on the fifth anniversary of her death, the estranged brothers talk for the first time since Conrad's last-minute confession of love spurred Belly to call off her wedding to Jeremiah, and amidst the anger, Jeremiah gave Conrad his pseudo permission to pursue Belly.
—Julia Moore, People.com, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for call off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for call off
Verb
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Or maybe we’re just easily distracted by tasks like building deer stands in the back yard, or looking for that missing purple egg.—
Paul Cappiello,
Louisville Courier Journal,
10 Oct. 2025
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These claims are not only untrue — they are being weaponized to damage my reputation and distract from the truth.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez , Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But our flights had been canceled amid rocket fire and regional escalation, fallout from Israel’s latest offensive in Gaza and its war with Iran.—
Reem Kassis,
The Atlantic,
11 Oct. 2025
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Despite Spapens’ declaration that the Disturbed concert is canceled, tickets for the gig are still listed on Live Nation, as well as still included on the band’s tour website.—
Daniel Kreps,
Rolling Stone,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The airport has been nearly 20 years in the making, a process that involved flattening hills, diverting rivers and bridging creeks.—
Ayushi Shah,
CNN Money,
8 Oct. 2025
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In a similar incident that took place earlier this year, a 67-year-old woman reportedly died on an easyJet flight, causing the plane to be diverted mid-air.—
David Chiu,
PEOPLE,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Trouble ahead Cernea’s decision to switch carriers hints at the worst-case scenario for UPS, which is that people could abandon the company.—
Kayla Steinberg,
NBC news,
10 Oct. 2025
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But it should be noted that people abandoning religion usually do so less vocally than those joining up.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Horton threw off flat ground on Friday and Saturday before the playoffs started and had hoped to throw from the mound last Sunday.—
Sahadev Sharma,
New York Times,
4 Oct. 2025
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Neuroscientists are only scratching the surface of what happens when the networks are thrown off balance, but the work could lead to more treatments to fix them, Cembrowski said.—
Yasemin Saplakoglu,
Quanta Magazine,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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François Bayrou quit last month after trying to push through a savings plan that included scrapping two public holidays and freezing public spending.—
Ana Nicolaci da Costa,
CNN Money,
8 Oct. 2025
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There were additional plans to film a retrospective episode, but that was also scrapped.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Prosecutors sought to detain seven of the 11 individuals without bail and to detain another in custody via a motion to revoke his current felony probation.—
Barnini Chakraborty,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Oct. 2025
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Republicans in Congress called for the Attorney General to revoke her passport and cancel his visa.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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As the youngest of four with an alcoholic father, his family struggled so much financially that his mother wanted to abort him.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
8 Oct. 2025
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Apparently, the plan was aborted after several FBI supervisors refused to cooperate, viewing it as inappropriate.—
The Conversation,
The Conversation,
8 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Call off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/call%20off. Accessed 12 Oct. 2025.
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