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 search has been called off pending further developments, the Coast Guard said.
—
Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 7 Feb. 2026
Sweeney and ex-fiancé Jonathan Davino called off their engagement in March 2025.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Last week, an elementary school in Fairfield, Connecticut, called off McMahon’s visit amid intense backlash from parents.
—Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
The streamer’s annual party, which was called off last year due to the Los Angeles fires, is a hot-ticket event each Grammy year, welcoming roughly 1,500 industry attendees for a night of music and mingling.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for call off
Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 7 Feb. 2026
Sweeney and ex-fiancé Jonathan Davino called off their engagement in March 2025.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Last week, an elementary school in Fairfield, Connecticut, called off McMahon’s visit amid intense backlash from parents.
—Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
The streamer’s annual party, which was called off last year due to the Los Angeles fires, is a hot-ticket event each Grammy year, welcoming roughly 1,500 industry attendees for a night of music and mingling.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for call off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for call off
Verb
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But the table is so congested that putting any kind of winning run together could make a real difference while the teams above them are distracted by European commitments.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2026
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Now that citizens can stare dumbfounded into the same distracting bright lights (and gambling gateways) via ever-present screens, the whole of the United States has essentially transformed into the hellscape once confined to Nevada’s southern tip.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Airlines canceled flights and cultural events were postponed as Cuba endures its worst fuel shortage in years, harming tourism and the broader economy.—
Andrea Rodriguez,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2026
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But with one principal calling football worse than bull fighting, high school games were cancelled in Kansas City in 1906 and 1907 and there was talk of replacing it with soccer football.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Similarly, when conflicts erupt unexpectedly, many flights wind up being diverted to avoid danger on the ground.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
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Time that should be spent advancing the work gets diverted to managing fallout.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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All three figures were once associated with the regime’s internal movement for incremental reform; all three long ago abandoned that stance to advocate the wholesale transformation of the system instead.—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
20 Feb. 2026
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Despite the relatively recent creation of the Government Oversight Committee, the legislature has largely abandoned its oversight role.—
Mark Pazniokas,
Hartford Courant,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Right-hander Jhony Brito, who underwent surgery to repair his flexor tendon and attach an internal UCL brace in May, has begun throwing off a mound.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
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This tasty herb uses its eucalyptus-like scent to confuse insects in the area by throwing off the cherry smell with something more pungent.—
Ashlyn Needham,
The Spruce,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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That change sought to keep tough limits for some common PFAS, but also proposed scrapping and reconsidering standards for other types and extending deadlines.—
Michael Phillis,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Feb. 2026
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While plans for a mascot have been scrapped, a new logo is coming, and art will adorn the upcoming Zinfandel Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing.—
Camryn Dadey,
Sacbee.com,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Last week, the Miami-Dade commissioner representing that area of Kendall, Raquel Regalado, filed legislation to ban the feeding of stray animals outside of businesses or in public parks but ultimately revoked it after receiving backlash.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
15 Feb. 2026
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No body that can be confined or restrained; no social or institutional standing to revoke; no reputation to damage.—
Deb Roy,
The Atlantic,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
There is an instinct to abort mission.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
17 Feb. 2026
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The plane was reportedly traveling at 103 mph when it was instructed to abort the takeoff, according to local outlet KSAT.—
Natalia Senanayake,
PEOPLE,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Call off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/call%20off. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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