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
Mayor Dickens is also calling on parents to step in and do their part, pay attention, and to know where their kids are.
—
Kaley Fedko, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
Thousands gathered in Baghdad and across a number of other Iraqi provinces yesterday to demonstrate against the US-Israeli war with Iran after the powerful Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called on people to protest.
—Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2026
But in Friday and Saturday’s games, Ben Rice challenged — and lost — strike calls on pitches that the ABS reviews confirmed were squarely in the strike zone.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 5 Apr. 2026
The order signed Tuesday calls on the Department of Homeland Security, working in conjunction with the Social Security Administration, to make the list of eligible voters in each state.
—Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
The policy also underscores the role of major players, calling on China Recycling Group to expand processing capacity and roll out adaptable, region-specific recycling models.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 5 Apr. 2026
Iran is calling on its citizens to locate the missing pilot and offering a reward.
—Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2026
Both organizations called on Iranian authorities to immediately halt the recruitment of minors and release those already serving.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 3 Apr. 2026
For safety reasons, Meet calls on CarPlay are audio-only.
—Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 3 Apr. 2026
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Kaley Fedko, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
Thousands gathered in Baghdad and across a number of other Iraqi provinces yesterday to demonstrate against the US-Israeli war with Iran after the powerful Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called on people to protest.
—Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2026
But in Friday and Saturday’s games, Ben Rice challenged — and lost — strike calls on pitches that the ABS reviews confirmed were squarely in the strike zone.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 5 Apr. 2026
The order signed Tuesday calls on the Department of Homeland Security, working in conjunction with the Social Security Administration, to make the list of eligible voters in each state.
—Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
The policy also underscores the role of major players, calling on China Recycling Group to expand processing capacity and roll out adaptable, region-specific recycling models.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 5 Apr. 2026
Iran is calling on its citizens to locate the missing pilot and offering a reward.
—Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2026
Both organizations called on Iranian authorities to immediately halt the recruitment of minors and release those already serving.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 3 Apr. 2026
For safety reasons, Meet calls on CarPlay are audio-only.
—Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Call on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/call%20on. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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