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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of call off
Rehearsals for The Simpsons, where Hartman voiced several characters, were also called off the day he was killed.
—
Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026
And then, five months into their engagement, Alexis called off the wedding.
—Jenny Singer, Glamour, 8 Apr. 2026
In the wake of the government’s decision, Festival Republic, the firm that organizes Wireless Festival, said the event would be called off.
—Jack Guy, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2026
Sometimes the journey to diagnosis is so emotionally excruciating that people call off the effort for a long period of time or even altogether.
—Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for call off
Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026
And then, five months into their engagement, Alexis called off the wedding.
—Jenny Singer, Glamour, 8 Apr. 2026
In the wake of the government’s decision, Festival Republic, the firm that organizes Wireless Festival, said the event would be called off.
—Jack Guy, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2026
Sometimes the journey to diagnosis is so emotionally excruciating that people call off the effort for a long period of time or even altogether.
—Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for call off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for call off
Verb
-
Mohan admits she had been distracted by personal problems, and wishes Robby well on his sabbatical.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Then the waiter gets distracted.—
Laura House,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The agency has reportedly cancelled or delayed more than a billion dollars of grants for programs like school desegregation and disability services.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
In the video, Cardi B yelled at the top of her voice, threatening to cancel her concert.—
DeAsia Paige,
AJC.com,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Over fears that The Glen would divert restaurants and businesses away from the downtown area, trustees moved to require developers to put money into an account that would provide future loans to business owners looking to open up new storefronts in downtown Glenview.—
Claire Murphy,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Becerra’s top aide, Sean McCluskie, plead guilty in November to diverting $225,000 from Becerra’s dormant campaign funds and using the money to inflate his salary.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The three-block stretch, between 16th and 19th avenues, looks markedly different from just a year ago, when tents, abandoned cars and piles of trash crowded the street and sidewalks.—
Da Lin,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
-
What to read next The USSR withdraws troops from the border with Afghanistan, as Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev abandons invasion plans to focus his resources on the Space Race.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The plan is for Maton to throw off a mound during the upcoming homestand and see where that leads.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Chances are that those middle four aren’t operable and are either a weird setup on the test unit from a previous shakedown or simply there to throw off the cameras.—
Jerry Perez,
The Drive,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The vote delay comes after Johnson had already twice postponed a vote on extending FISA amid the GOP divisions, including back in March, when Johnson had to scrap plans to hold a vote on the FISA extension and reschedule it for a mid-April vote.—
Hailey Bullis,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Later that year, the DOJ also scrapped the requirement that airplane manufacturer Boeing have its own independent monitor.—
Ben Weiss,
Fortune,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The new offenses caused his bail to be revoked from his Quincy District Court cases until at least June 12.—
Flint McColgan,
Boston Herald,
17 Apr. 2026
-
How much to rely on that bot – and when to let go – is a moral quandary for the grieving former combat surgeon who had her license revoked after a tragedy.—
Anika Reed,
USA Today,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In recent weeks, several ships have attempted to transit the strait only to abort their efforts, reflecting a constantly changing security situation and persistently high risks.—
Weilun Soon,
Fortune,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Apollo 13 zoomed around the Moon after famously aborting its lunar landing mission.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Call off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/call%20off. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
