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 vehicle had just driven out of Wayne County into Monroe County when Flat Rock called off its pursuit.
—
Paula Wethington, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
After more than three weeks without finding the bear responsible for the attack, officials called off the search.
—Emily Wanderer, Washington Post, 8 Jan. 2026
After more than three weeks without finding the bear responsible for the attack, officials called off the search.
—Emily Wanderer, The Conversation, 7 Jan. 2026
Horse races and soccer matches have been called off because of snow and frost, a power failure caused by ice closed Glasgow’s subway, and Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport was closed for a time on Monday.
—Mike Corder, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for call off
Paula Wethington, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
After more than three weeks without finding the bear responsible for the attack, officials called off the search.
—Emily Wanderer, Washington Post, 8 Jan. 2026
After more than three weeks without finding the bear responsible for the attack, officials called off the search.
—Emily Wanderer, The Conversation, 7 Jan. 2026
Horse races and soccer matches have been called off because of snow and frost, a power failure caused by ice closed Glasgow’s subway, and Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport was closed for a time on Monday.
—Mike Corder, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for call off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for call off
Verb
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The goal was to ensure the makeup didn’t distract the audience but rather felt invisible.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
10 Jan. 2026
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Even the most emotionally invested of us can get distracted.—
Stuart Berman,
Pitchfork,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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That band faces a similar situation as Mariachi Joya Azteca, with at least two major events canceled in 2025.—
Juan Cordoba,
Arkansas Online,
12 Jan. 2026
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The Anker 737 Power Bank keeps multiple devices running and charging, from your phone to your noise-canceling headphones, without weighing down your bag.—
Claire Gallam,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Sacramento police diverted traffic from N Street between Fifth and Sixth streets downtown as the march proceeded, Gamble said.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
9 Jan. 2026
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The district that would divert sales tax money to pay for the stadium would cover nearly all of Wyandotte County, and state and team officials are looking to redirect local sales tax revenue in addition to state taxes to pay back stadium debt.—
Sofi Zeman,
Kansas City Star,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Miami Hurricanes are at home, while the entire state of Indiana – save for some in West Lafayette – is content to abandon their homes to enjoy this unexpectedly stupefying playoff march.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
10 Jan. 2026
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Season One concludes with the Texas Tech geology graduate abandoning a well crew after tragedy strikes, only to achieve rapid success in his personal and work endeavors.—
Michael M. Rosen,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The timing on the final play was thrown off when Love dropped the snap.—
Jay Cohen,
Twin Cities,
11 Jan. 2026
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View gallery - 9 images What looks like a flying egg, was never designed to land, and was so light it could be thrown off course by its own guns?—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The proposal comes on the heels of a sweeping provision slipped in late last legislative session that required colleges to scrap programs that fell below a certain enrollment quota.—
Marissa Meador,
IndyStar,
9 Jan. 2026
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As more ocean carriers appear to show an openness to returning to the Red Sea on a limited basis, Maersk reportedly scrapped a long-time fee last month for one of its container vessels that transited the Suez Canal.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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While multiple sources familiar with the holiday events deny online rumors that Mar-a-Lago threatened to revoke the memberships of guests who took photos of Barron over the holidays, insiders tell PEOPLE that there's an unspoken rule about how to treat the most private member of the first family.—
Linda Marx,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
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Colbert was sentenced to 25 years in prison in Orleans Parish in May, after a judge revoked her probation in a similar but unrelated case.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Her behavior led to the pilots aborting takeoff.—
Marina Watts,
PEOPLE,
2 Jan. 2026
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The Dating Game, directed by Violet Du Feng, shows us the struggle of young men to find spouses in a country where males outnumber females by a large margin (a result of China’s one-child policy, which saw many female offspring aborted or abandoned in favor of male children).—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
29 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Call off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/call%20off. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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