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
At the Mass, Holtz called on Zorich to read Scripture.
—
Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
More than 36 groups representing Coloradans all across the state are calling on the next governor to make youth mental health a priority.
—Shaun Boyd, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
Then Hamlin dominated last year's title-decider at Phoenix Raceway but the wrong call on the final pit stop cost him the Cup championship that has eluded the three-time Daytona 500 winner.
—Arkansas Online, 16 Mar. 2026
On Monday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called on Democrats to join forces behind a discharge petition that would fund all DHS agencies except for ICE.
—Luke Barr, ABC News, 16 Mar. 2026
And when high winds cancelled boat service, forcing unexpected overnights in Nuuk on a night when hotels were fully booked, Krogh called on a colleague with an Airbnb to provide accommodations.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 16 Mar. 2026
The Council of Fashion Designers of America, the British Fashion Council, the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, and the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode are calling on Saks Global to pay its debts to independent designers.
—Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 16 Mar. 2026
The environmental group is calling on the state to buy 100,000 more acres of land to turn into marshes to clean the water and build a shallower reservoir.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 16 Mar. 2026
Stars don’t get foul calls on those makes.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 16 Mar. 2026
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Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
More than 36 groups representing Coloradans all across the state are calling on the next governor to make youth mental health a priority.
—Shaun Boyd, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
Then Hamlin dominated last year's title-decider at Phoenix Raceway but the wrong call on the final pit stop cost him the Cup championship that has eluded the three-time Daytona 500 winner.
—Arkansas Online, 16 Mar. 2026
On Monday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called on Democrats to join forces behind a discharge petition that would fund all DHS agencies except for ICE.
—Luke Barr, ABC News, 16 Mar. 2026
And when high winds cancelled boat service, forcing unexpected overnights in Nuuk on a night when hotels were fully booked, Krogh called on a colleague with an Airbnb to provide accommodations.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 16 Mar. 2026
The Council of Fashion Designers of America, the British Fashion Council, the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, and the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode are calling on Saks Global to pay its debts to independent designers.
—Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 16 Mar. 2026
The environmental group is calling on the state to buy 100,000 more acres of land to turn into marshes to clean the water and build a shallower reservoir.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 16 Mar. 2026
Stars don’t get foul calls on those makes.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Call on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/call%20on. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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