1
as in to distract
to draw the attention or mind to something else
she was about to tell me the big news when her attention was called off by the arrival of another guest
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to cancel
to put an end to (something planned or previously agreed to)
called off the party after half of those invited couldn't make it
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of call off
The search has been called off pending further developments, the Coast Guard said.
—
Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 7 Feb. 2026
Sweeney and ex-fiancé Jonathan Davino called off their engagement in March 2025.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Last week, an elementary school in Fairfield, Connecticut, called off McMahon’s visit amid intense backlash from parents.
—Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
The streamer’s annual party, which was called off last year due to the Los Angeles fires, is a hot-ticket event each Grammy year, welcoming roughly 1,500 industry attendees for a night of music and mingling.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for call off
Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 7 Feb. 2026
Sweeney and ex-fiancé Jonathan Davino called off their engagement in March 2025.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Last week, an elementary school in Fairfield, Connecticut, called off McMahon’s visit amid intense backlash from parents.
—Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
The streamer’s annual party, which was called off last year due to the Los Angeles fires, is a hot-ticket event each Grammy year, welcoming roughly 1,500 industry attendees for a night of music and mingling.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for call off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for call off
Verb
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They were seen by the clergy, for example, to be distracted by chocolate, drinking it and gossiping instead of paying attention to mass.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
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State transportation officials argued that street art is distracting and can pose a risk to drivers.—
Susannah Bryan,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Airlines canceled flights and cultural events were postponed as Cuba endures its worst fuel shortage in years, harming tourism and the broader economy.—
Andrea Rodriguez,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2026
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But with one principal calling football worse than bull fighting, high school games were cancelled in Kansas City in 1906 and 1907 and there was talk of replacing it with soccer football.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Similarly, when conflicts erupt unexpectedly, many flights wind up being diverted to avoid danger on the ground.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
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Time that should be spent advancing the work gets diverted to managing fallout.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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One is that OpenAI’s board has apparently abandoned its mission of safety.—
Alnoor Ebrahim,
The Conversation,
13 Feb. 2026
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The tech mogul, who helped found OpenAI, sued Altman and the company in 2024, accusing them of abandoning the firm’s founding values and manipulating him into investing in the ChatGPT maker.—
Julia Shapero,
The Hill,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Right-hander Jhony Brito, who underwent surgery to repair his flexor tendon and attach an internal UCL brace in May, has begun throwing off a mound.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
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This tasty herb uses its eucalyptus-like scent to confuse insects in the area by throwing off the cherry smell with something more pungent.—
Ashlyn Needham,
The Spruce,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Originally envisioned as a musical, Williams was tasked with writing original songs with lyricist Leslie Bricusse before the idea was scrapped.—
Alex Galbraith,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Feb. 2026
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Suburban leaders indicated the mix of power sharing and new money could be enough to persuade the likes of Plano and Irving to scrap looming withdrawal elections in the nick of time, with just days before some counties finalize May ballots.—
Lilly Kersh,
Dallas Morning News,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Last week, the Miami-Dade commissioner representing that area of Kendall, Raquel Regalado, filed legislation to ban the feeding of stray animals outside of businesses or in public parks but ultimately revoked it after receiving backlash.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
15 Feb. 2026
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No body that can be confined or restrained; no social or institutional standing to revoke; no reputation to damage.—
Deb Roy,
The Atlantic,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The plane was reportedly traveling at 103 mph when it was instructed to abort the takeoff, according to local outlet KSAT.—
Natalia Senanayake,
PEOPLE,
29 Jan. 2026
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Pilots on the Mesa Airlines flight decided that the separation between their craft and the one taking off was insufficient and initiated a go-around, in which a landing is aborted.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Call off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/call%20off. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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