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
Negotiations have continued by phone after Trump called off his envoys' trip to Pakistan last week, the president said.
—
Arkansas Online, 1 May 2026
The vote was abruptly called off on Tuesday, per an ESPN report, and the NWSL chose to stick with the current schedule that city officials say will allow for BPS football games to be played at White Stadium for Thanksgiving and the playoffs.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 1 May 2026
Earlier this year, cities like Plano, Irving and Farmers Branch called off withdrawal elections of their own after DART agreed to return some money to member cities and make changes to its governance.
—Steven Rosenbaum, CBS News, 1 May 2026
In early April rescuers called off the effort to save the creature, which had repeatedly become stuck on sandbanks and seemed in bad physical shape.
—K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for call off
Arkansas Online, 1 May 2026
The vote was abruptly called off on Tuesday, per an ESPN report, and the NWSL chose to stick with the current schedule that city officials say will allow for BPS football games to be played at White Stadium for Thanksgiving and the playoffs.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 1 May 2026
Earlier this year, cities like Plano, Irving and Farmers Branch called off withdrawal elections of their own after DART agreed to return some money to member cities and make changes to its governance.
—Steven Rosenbaum, CBS News, 1 May 2026
In early April rescuers called off the effort to save the creature, which had repeatedly become stuck on sandbanks and seemed in bad physical shape.
—K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for call off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for call off
Verb
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Made in response to a difficult breakup, the work alludes to two lovers parting ways, but also to Pau’s memories of isolation as a severely asthmatic child in a notoriously polluted city, lying in bed staring at the wall and inventing stories to distract herself from the difficulty of breathing.—
Pauline J. Yao,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
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His father, Brady Kiser, said he was momentarily distracted when the incident occurred and that Emilie was away at the time.—
Mirna Alsharif,
NBC news,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Travelers across South Jersey were scrambling after the sudden shutdown of Spirit Airlines, a major carrier at Atlantic City International Airport, leaving flights canceled and raising concerns about the region's tourism economy.—
Eva Andersen,
CBS News,
3 May 2026
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The airline said on its website that all flights have been canceled and customer service is no longer available.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 May 2026
Verb
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Simply cut your downspout to the height of your rain barrel and divert water into it.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
29 Apr. 2026
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But the shortages of Patriot defense systems remain a concern amid reports that the Pentagon is considering diverting advanced defensive weapons earmarked for Ukraine to the Middle East.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Even as anthropologists were decisively abandoning totemism, however, the idea was gaining cultural credibility elsewhere.—
Glenn Adamson,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
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Mason’s project is a prime example of how journalists are reaching audiences who have abandoned traditional TV for streaming.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
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That is a consideration for some test subjects, as the virtual reality environment can throw off sensitive stomachs.—
Kristin Shaw,
Popular Science,
30 Apr. 2026
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Otherwise, there was little evidence of factors that might be throwing off the results.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Hillsborough sometimes sees projects come in under budget or get scrapped.—
Nicolas Villamil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 May 2026
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The Korean satellite was supposed to be launched in 2022 with a Soyuz rocket, but the plan was scrapped after Russia’s attack on Ukraine that year, according to the website.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
3 May 2026
Verb
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Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te arrived in Eswatini on Saturday after three countries revoked flight permits, reportedly due to Chinese pressure.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
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Meta’s threat to revoke social media access in the state altogether was not taken lightly by Torrez.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
1 May 2026
Verb
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That flight had twice aborted takeoff and declared an emergency due to an odor onboard that was sickening flight attendants.—
Aaron Cooper,
CNN Money,
23 Apr. 2026
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Republic Airways said the flight, operating as American Airlines Flight 4464, aborted its initial landing attempt and performed a go-around during its approach into JFK.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Call off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/call%20off. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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