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
If that’s the case, Appleton’s prior track record as a solid checking-line player could be enough for another team to call on him.
—
Max Bultman, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
The families also called on the university to set up a fund to accept public donations.
—Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2026
Counsell called on right-hander Vince Velasquez, pitching in his first big-league game in nearly three years, to close out the final 2 1/3 innings.
—Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
Pahlavi in Berlin called on Europeans to do more to support Iranian people fighting for democracy.
—Sean Nevin, NBC news, 24 Apr. 2026
As soon as Talarico’s primary victory over Jasmine Crockett was certain, conservatives called on those remarks and others to swiftly and uniformly deride his Christianity as blasphemous and insincere.
—Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026
While harder to track, not calling on Google to weigh in during an IRL sports debate seems to be more in vogue these days.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Just last month, more than six million juvenile salmon released from Coleman Hatchery into the Sacramento River faced great danger from low flows, prompting conservation groups to call on the Bureau of Reclamation to release more water from reservoirs into the river.
—Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Schenkel will stay on through Expedia Group's first-quarter earnings call on May 7 before departing the company on May 16.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026
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Max Bultman, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
The families also called on the university to set up a fund to accept public donations.
—Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2026
Counsell called on right-hander Vince Velasquez, pitching in his first big-league game in nearly three years, to close out the final 2 1/3 innings.
—Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
Pahlavi in Berlin called on Europeans to do more to support Iranian people fighting for democracy.
—Sean Nevin, NBC news, 24 Apr. 2026
As soon as Talarico’s primary victory over Jasmine Crockett was certain, conservatives called on those remarks and others to swiftly and uniformly deride his Christianity as blasphemous and insincere.
—Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026
While harder to track, not calling on Google to weigh in during an IRL sports debate seems to be more in vogue these days.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Just last month, more than six million juvenile salmon released from Coleman Hatchery into the Sacramento River faced great danger from low flows, prompting conservation groups to call on the Bureau of Reclamation to release more water from reservoirs into the river.
—Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Schenkel will stay on through Expedia Group's first-quarter earnings call on May 7 before departing the company on May 16.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Call on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/call%20on. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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