call off

verb

called off; calling off; calls off

transitive verb

1
: to draw away : divert
2
: cancel

Examples of call off in a Sentence

she was about to tell me the big news when her attention was called off by the arrival of another guest called off the party after half of those invited couldn't make it
Recent Examples on the Web The underwater search was officially called off in January 2017 after the Australian, Malaysia and Chinese governments scoured nearly 50,000 square miles of the Indian Ocean floor, which reportedly cost about $150 million. Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 8 Mar. 2024 An initial search, carried out by Malaysia, China, and Australia and estimated to have cost 200 million Australian dollars ($132 million), was called off in January 2017 after failing to find any trace. Chris Lau, CNN, 7 Mar. 2024 Cabello and Mendes first called off their relationship in November 2021 after two years of dating. Sadie Bell, Peoplemag, 6 Mar. 2024 The 1944 presidential election would be called off because of the war. Greg Daugherty, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Mar. 2024 Outdoor activities were called off, but the school conducted a fairly normal dismissal, according to district officials. Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 4 Mar. 2024 Both companies had been seeking $9 billion SPAC mergers that were eventually called off in late 2022. Zinnia Lee, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 An international search fleet surveyed 710,000 square kilometers (274,000 square miles) of seabed, peppered with trenches and peaks, before the hunt was called off in 2017. Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2024 The model and the action star were seemingly headed for divorce in August 2022 but called off the split a month later. Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'call off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of call off was in 1606

Dictionary Entries Near call off

Cite this Entry

“Call off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/call%20off. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

call off

verb
1
: to draw away : divert
call off a dog
2
: cancel sense 2a
call off a meeting

More from Merriam-Webster on call off

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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