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 romantic comedy will follow Naomi (Fahy) and Nick (Badgley), an engaged couple who secretly can’t stand each other and engage in hilarious pranks to get the other to call off the wedding — only to rediscover their love along the way.
—
Samantha Stutsman, People.com, 2 July 2025
Other school districts in the region have called off for Friday, too, including Boone County Schools and Princeton City Schools.
—Madeline Mitchell, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
The maneuver, which has been pulled off only once, during the October demonstration, was called off in the most recent test in November, which President-elect Donald Trump attended.
—Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
And on Wednesday, Trump praised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a hero and said a long-running corruption case against him in Israel should be called off.
—Greg Myre, NPR, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for call off
Samantha Stutsman, People.com, 2 July 2025
Other school districts in the region have called off for Friday, too, including Boone County Schools and Princeton City Schools.
—Madeline Mitchell, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
The maneuver, which has been pulled off only once, during the October demonstration, was called off in the most recent test in November, which President-elect Donald Trump attended.
—Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
And on Wednesday, Trump praised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a hero and said a long-running corruption case against him in Israel should be called off.
—Greg Myre, NPR, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for call off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for call off
Verb
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The legal fight threatens to distract from the group's goals in a state where Democrats already struggle to adequately field and fund candidates.—
Kayla Dwyer,
IndyStar,
14 July 2025
-
This all, of course, was not to distract from the center of her makeup look: a matte red lip.—
Essence,
Essence,
14 July 2025
Verb
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Was the show canceled because late night TV is a relic of the past?—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
19 July 2025
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Years later, her character was set to lead a separate reboot for Peacock, but the project was canceled in 2021.—
Danny Horn,
EW.com,
19 July 2025
Verb
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In 2023, another Delta flight diverted to Terceira due to an engine issue.—
Annabella Rosciglione,
The Washington Examiner,
10 July 2025
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The plane diverted to Logan International Airport in Boston, and Massachusetts State Police officers took Reid into custody.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
9 July 2025
Verb
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Nothing in the proposal Trump announced on Monday is likely to force Putin to abandon that objective.—
Simon Shuster,
Time,
15 July 2025
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That doesn't mean abandoning your message, just finding the right entry point for your audience in that moment.—
Rachel Weissman,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
Verb
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After some bullpen sessions, Taillon could be ready to throw off of a mound at the end of July or beginning of August.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
18 July 2025
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With fewer gannets to eat them, fish populations may grow, potentially throwing off local balance.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
15 July 2025
Verb
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Now the Trump administration has scrapped that process, and appointees enjoy full control over what scientific integrity means and how agencies review and synthesize scientific literature necessary to support and shape policy decisions.—
David Michaels,
The Atlantic,
20 July 2025
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A couple of days ago, SPORT then reported that the club was ‘close’ to scrapping the plan and explained that a decision would be made on Friday, which has proven to be accurate.—
Tom Sanderson,
Forbes.com,
18 July 2025
Verb
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Ogles’ comments come as the Trump Administration has signed executive orders in an attempt to eliminate DEI programs, in addition to revoking the student visas of international students at universities throughout the country.—
Ruben Montoya,
The Tennessean,
19 July 2025
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The call for ideas also follows the department’s decision just one day earlier to revoke $4 billion in funding from California’s high-speed rail project.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
17 July 2025
Verb
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They were assigned female at birth and never want to abort a pregnancy – making fallopian tube removal a viable option to protect themself and their husband given their dissatisfaction with other birth control methods.—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
10 July 2025
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Military crews aborted several attempts to launch the missile from Cape Canaveral in 2023 due to a problem with the weapon's launcher.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
26 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Call off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/call%20off. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.
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