to decide the size, amount, number, or distance of (something) without actual measurement
let's call that five feet for now, and we'll measure it out later
How is the word call different from other verbs like it?
Some common synonyms of call are cite, convene, convoke, muster, and summon. While all these words mean "to demand the presence of," call may be used less formally for summon.
called the legislature into special session
When can cite be used instead of call?
The words cite and call are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, cite implies a summoning to court usually to answer a charge.
cited for drunken driving
How do convene and convoke relate to one another, in the sense of call?
Where would convoke be a reasonable alternative to call?
The meanings of convoke and call largely overlap; however, convoke implies a summons to assemble for deliberative or legislative purposes.
convoked a Vatican council
When is muster a more appropriate choice than call?
In some situations, the words muster and call are roughly equivalent. However, muster suggests a calling up of a number of things that form a group in order that they may be exhibited, displayed, or utilized as a whole.
mustered the troops
In what contexts can summon take the place of call?
Although the words summon and call have much in common, summon implies the exercise of authority.
was summoned to answer charges
How is the word call different from other verbs like it?
Some common synonyms of call are cite, convene, convoke, muster, and summon. While all these words mean "to demand the presence of," call may be used less formally for summon.
called the legislature into special session
When can cite be used instead of call?
The words cite and call are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, cite implies a summoning to court usually to answer a charge.
cited for drunken driving
How do convene and convoke relate to one another, in the sense of call?
Where would convoke be a reasonable alternative to call?
The meanings of convoke and call largely overlap; however, convoke implies a summons to assemble for deliberative or legislative purposes.
convoked a Vatican council
When is muster a more appropriate choice than call?
In some situations, the words muster and call are roughly equivalent. However, muster suggests a calling up of a number of things that form a group in order that they may be exhibited, displayed, or utilized as a whole.
mustered the troops
In what contexts can summon take the place of call?
Although the words summon and call have much in common, summon implies the exercise of authority.
was summoned to answer charges
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of call
Verb
Their first power play began at the start of the second period, after Charlie McAvoy was called for roughing Sean Couturier at the end of the first.—Kevin Kurz, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2026 March 21 – April 19 What new path calls you to explore?—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 6 Apr. 2026
Noun
But if an umpire’s call is confirmed, then the team loses that challenge.—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 4 Apr. 2026 As the students rested at lunch tables, one officer described working patrol, responding to calls from minor incidents to emergencies.—Mona Darwish, Oc Register, 4 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for call
Sean said the dogs knocked his mother to the ground and continued attacking her as a passerby, who heard her cries from about a block away, rushed over on a bicycle to help.
—
Angelique Brenes,
PEOPLE,
2 Apr. 2026
Amazingly, there didn’t seem to be a single boo or any cries of dissent.
Service, on my visits, was a bit spacey, but it’s been tightening up; the tone of the place seems to be in progress, too, oscillating between that of a neighborhood joint, an amorous date-night nook, and a sceney hot spot.
—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
Charles visited the United States 19 times as Prince of Wales; his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, made four state visits over her 70-year reign.
McLeod also emphasized the urgency of incorporating and said that many people get the wrong message about what becoming a city means.
—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
7 Apr. 2026
By then, internal messages show, executives and board members had come to believe that Altman’s omissions and deceptions might have ramifications for the safety of OpenAI’s products.
Despite making a lower hourly rate than Milstein, Chan still collected more in total wages than her in 2025 through cashing out sick and vacation time, according to tax documents and payrolls obtained by The Bee through a public records act request.
—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
8 Apr. 2026
Neighbors opposed to a soccer star’s plans for a six-plex in the Westside are appealing after a judge denied their request for a review.
Those riots kickstarted the LGBTQ+ rights movement in America, and beyond.
—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Apr. 2026
Privacy law may apply to, say, a stranger who broadcasts a toddler’s febrile seizure to a potential audience of millions, but the same child generally cannot claim a legal right to privacy from his mother or father.
Your disciplined streak works best with warmth at the moment, so add kindness to every firm decision, and people should be more inclined to accept your guidance.
—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
8 Apr. 2026
The zoning board said in court documents that the decision was legal and based on substantial evidence while being in the public interest and in line with city code.
There also are the tens of thousands who worked there over the decades — not to mention the millions of CNN viewers who saw the brutalist compound as an Atlanta calling card.
—
Zachary Hansen,
AJC.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Once, my calling had quite an effect on a superstitious Eskimo.