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

One thing my colleagues and I have found very useful is the callouts that The New York Times does. —Terence McGinley, New York Times, 18 May 2025

On June 2, British YouTuber Rachel Leary posted a public callout on TikTok for Jenner to share the specifics of her boob job. —Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 3 June 2025

Verb

The Daily Show host Jon Stewart called out a number of glaring inconsistencies in the political response to the death of Democratic Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark. —Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2025

Listeners can hear peddlers calling out their wares, children singing in courtyards, band music echoing on side streets and immigrant voices drifting through Midtown Manhattan. —Ella Jeffries, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1887, 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