Synonyms of call on

call on

phrase

variants or call upon

1

as in rely

to place reliance or trust

She's the one I call on when I need a friend.

Synonyms & Similar Words

• rely
• count
• depend
• stand on
• look to
• bank on
• figure on
• lean
• trust
• reckon
• calculate
• commit
• confide
• entrust

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• question
• suspect
• distrust
• mistrust

2

as in ask

to make a request of

She called on me for a ride to the airport.

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ask
• request
• invite
• hit (up)
• appeal (to)
• plead (to)
• petition
• pray
• beg
• invoke
• require
• solicit
• implore
• demand
• beseech
• entreat
• conjure
• supplicate
• importune
• enjoin
• exact
• press

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• require
• force
• compel
• coerce
• constrain
• oblige

3

as in petition

to make a request to (someone) in an earnest or urgent manner

They called on a specialist after other avenues had failed.

Synonyms & Similar Words

• petition
• beg
• appeal (to)
• plead (to)
• ask
• pray
• implore
• impetrate
• beseech
• entreat
• conjure
• require
• request
• supplicate
• importune
• solicit
• besiege
• invoke
• desire
• sponge
• force
• compel
• bludge
• demand
• claim
• coerce
• insist
• cadge
• mooch
• command

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• suggest
• imply
• hint
• intimate
• please
• satisfy
• content
• comfort
• appease
• placate
• gratify
• quiet
• pacify
• console
• mollify
• oblige
• conciliate

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of call on

Tracy, manager of the team’s Triple-A affiliate in Worcester since 2022, was called upon to take over. — Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 10 Nov. 2026

Looking back, Vander Luitgaren was called upon to start halfway through his sophomore season and helped lead Batavia to the Class 7A state championship game. — Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 8 Nov. 2026

Leaders might be called upon for help to remove some of the shackles that naturally accumulate over time, including simplifying approvals, streamlining processes and creating space to experiment. — Suzanne Konstance, Forbes.com, 6 Nov. 2026

In 2024, when former President Joe Biden commuted 37 prisoners facing the death penalty, advocates from the ACLU to Catholic bishops called upon Newsom to do the same. — Sacbee.com, 5 Nov. 2026

Nazz shepherds the queue at an auctioneer’s pace, sometimes joining in and always poking fun, calling upon you to spin the prize wheel that could lead to a free drink or 10 push-ups. — Skyli Alvarez, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Nov. 2026

The provision could also have put doctors in a tough spot, since they may have been called upon to help determine whether someone is able to work, which would affect their patients’ coverage. — Tami Luhby, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2026

Determined to find Michael’s fellow abductee and big sister, Felicia, once and for all, Fairhaven’s exhausted but kindly chief of police, Ellison (Bill Camp), calls upon every resource at his disposal. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 29 Oct. 2026

For the next premiere, Kardashian called upon a longtime favorite of hers—and the wider Kardashian-Jenner family—Schiaparelli. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 28 Oct. 2026