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
Craig says he's disturbed by how frequently these teen takeovers are happening with teens still being in school and is calling on police to take a more proactive approach.
—
Julia Avant, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Kassem delivered a fiery speech calling on Lebanon to cancel the talks.
—ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026
Democratic representatives had initially called on members to let the investigation play out before jumping to calls for resignation or an expulsion vote, but after the March 27 subcommittee finding, Democrats and Republicans alike called on her to leave the chamber or be forced out.
—Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 13 Apr. 2026
Del Naja and his bandmate, Grant Marshall, were early supporters of the ongoing No Music for Genocide campaign, which calls on artists and labels to geo-block their music from streaming in Israel.
—Walden Green, Pitchfork, 13 Apr. 2026
On Monday, Magyar called on Hungary's president to convene parliament to form a new government as soon as May 5.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 13 Apr. 2026
All of those Democratic contenders had quickly called on Swalwell to quit the race and praised the women who came forward.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 13 Apr. 2026
The questions and solutions change with every performance, ranging from Masli making difficult phone calls on an audience member’s behalf, recovering a long-missing recipe, finding the name of an old song or ending global fascism.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2026
Members of the California Democratic National Convention delegation who attended a DNC meeting in New Orleans over the weekend called on Swalwell to step aside.
—William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 13 Apr. 2026
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Julia Avant, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Kassem delivered a fiery speech calling on Lebanon to cancel the talks.
—ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026
Democratic representatives had initially called on members to let the investigation play out before jumping to calls for resignation or an expulsion vote, but after the March 27 subcommittee finding, Democrats and Republicans alike called on her to leave the chamber or be forced out.
—Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 13 Apr. 2026
Del Naja and his bandmate, Grant Marshall, were early supporters of the ongoing No Music for Genocide campaign, which calls on artists and labels to geo-block their music from streaming in Israel.
—Walden Green, Pitchfork, 13 Apr. 2026
On Monday, Magyar called on Hungary's president to convene parliament to form a new government as soon as May 5.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 13 Apr. 2026
All of those Democratic contenders had quickly called on Swalwell to quit the race and praised the women who came forward.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 13 Apr. 2026
The questions and solutions change with every performance, ranging from Masli making difficult phone calls on an audience member’s behalf, recovering a long-missing recipe, finding the name of an old song or ending global fascism.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2026
Members of the California Democratic National Convention delegation who attended a DNC meeting in New Orleans over the weekend called on Swalwell to step aside.
—William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Call on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/call%20on. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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