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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of call off
The cancellation sparked emotional scenes throughout Vienna as thousands of fans gathered in public spaces to sing Swift's songs together after the concerts were called off.
—
Bryan West, USA Today, 28 May 2026
Now, her engagement to the most influential eligible Commander in Gilead has been called off, marring her reputation.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 27 May 2026
Broward can call off the consultants.
—Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel, 23 May 2026
There were five holds in all before SpaceX called off the launch attempt.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for call off
Bryan West, USA Today, 28 May 2026
Now, her engagement to the most influential eligible Commander in Gilead has been called off, marring her reputation.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 27 May 2026
Broward can call off the consultants.
—Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel, 23 May 2026
There were five holds in all before SpaceX called off the launch attempt.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for call off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for call off
Verb
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The opening salvo of the assault is intended to distract the Russians and permit four other robots to get behind enemy lines.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
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Meanwhile, Johnson insisted to reporters in Chicago that his international excursion will not distract him from the pressing issues back home, including the final week of Springfield’s legislative session.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
28 May 2026
Verb
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The international airport in General Santos was temporarily shut due to the earthquake, and 17 domestic flights were canceled, civil aviation officials said.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
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The county civil grand jury concluded the school board canceled the contract based on a misrepresentation of the facts, failed to act in students’ best interest, disparaged the school community and took actions that were supposed to be handled by district staff.—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 June 2026
Verb
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Ukraine has retained roughly the same interception rates for drones as before the recent escalation, downing around 90% of them each month and using electronic warfare to divert some munitions away from populated areas.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
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Because the city did not lock in strict legal rules for spending the new funds, even though the hotel tax has historically helped fund local arts programs, leaders could technically divert the cash to other priorities later.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Kuna fires out, abandoned home burns Smoke poured out of two fires in Kuna on Thursday, said James Trumble, the Kuna Rural Fire District’s assistant chief.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
29 May 2026
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And then there’s the fact that in the season finale’s final minutes, set in 2020, the Soviet spaceship MAPC-94, abandoned in space after its engines failed decades ago, turns itself on.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Chip stocks, however, stumbled; bitcoin is hovering at its weakest since the war began, private credit is throwing off sparks again — and a flesh-eating parasite has turned up in Texas.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
5 June 2026
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Data centers primarily use water to cool server racks, which throw off massive amounts of heat.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
4 June 2026
Verb
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Goldman Sachs economists on Friday scrapped their forecast for a Fed interest-rate cut in December 2026 based on the stronger-than-expected US labor market.—
Tony Czuczka,
Fortune,
7 June 2026
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The 2025 festival, planned for late July at Oakwood Beach, was scrapped in May, with the cancellation attributed to concerns over artist travel and visas amid crackdowns by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Chicago in the weeks leading up to Operation Midway Blitz.—
Doug George,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2026
Verb
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The Post’s analysis is based on the date the offenses occurred, not the year the teachers’ licenses were revoked, as the license actions routinely trail incidents by months or years.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
7 June 2026
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The single absence was Iran’s, after Taj had his Canadian visa revoked mid-flight for having once been a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, listed by Canada as a terrorist entity.—
Chris Jones,
The Atlantic,
7 June 2026
Verb
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The pilots acted quickly to abort the takeoff and avert a crash.—
The Denver Post Editorial Board,
Denver Post,
13 May 2026
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This work kept the first moon landing from being aborted, even though the onboard computer was overloaded.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Call off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/call%20off. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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