callout

1 of 2

noun

call·​out ˈkȯl-ˌau̇t 

1

: the act or an instance of calling out

2

: an often bordered inset in a printed article or illustration that usually includes a key excerpt or detail

call out

2 of 2

verb

called out; calling out; calls out

transitive verb

1

: to summon into action

call out troops

2

: to challenge to a duel

3

: to order on strike

call out the workers

4

: to publicly criticize or fault (someone)

The FDA will have to start forcing companies to be transparent and call them out on it when they're not.

—Massimo Calabresi et al.

Examples of callout in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

That could be a Slack message, a callout in a team meeting, a personal note from a senior leader. — Miriam Groom, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Like so many employers, the McDonald's franchise had struggled with callouts across its restaurants, so its owners were enthusiastic from the start. — Andrea Hsu, NPR, 17 Aug. 2026

Verb

Trump has publicly called out the world body for not living up to its potential. — Farnoush Amiri, Twin Cities, 21 Aug. 2026

And the element of this that calls out to us is the search for another world like Earth. — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 21 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1882, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for callout

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout