call on

verb

called on; calling on; calls on

transitive verb

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

Amodei also called on governments to coordinate on safety standards. — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 14 Sep. 2026

Trump on Sunday called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries and other infrastructure used to produce and distribute diesel, saying the attacks are causing a global shortage. — Claudia Ciobanu, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Kushner started his private-equity fund and called on his connections to create a lucrative portfolio of investments. — Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026

Trump on Sunday called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries and other infrastructure used to produce and distribute diesel, saying the attacks are causing a global shortage. — ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for call on

• anton
• argon
• axon
• baronne
• baryon
• baton
• boron
• buisson
• bygone
• capon
• cardon
• chiffon