1
as in distracted
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 canceled
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
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Recent Examples of called off
Within the hour, all firefighters were called off the roof and out of the building because of the danger posed by the intense flames and the ammonia leak.
—
Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2026
The two sides had previously agreed to play a home-and-home in 2027 and 2028, but that was called off in May.
—Connor Riley, AJC.com, 17 June 2026
The driver refused to stop and troopers gave chase but DPS said the troopers lost sight of the vehicle and called off the chase.
—Steven Rosenbaum, CBS News, 16 June 2026
Isar called off a launch attempt on January 21 due to an issue with a pressurization valve, and then halted a countdown on March 25, moments before liftoff, when engineers detected rising temperatures in the rocket’s liquid propane fuel.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 15 June 2026
The official watch party was supposed to be capped at 1,000 people and require fans to have tickets, but it was called off over the attendance cap dispute.
—Matt Moret, New York Times, 13 June 2026
Borrowing costs fell sharply on Thursday, with 10-year Treasury yields down as much as 8 basis points, with yields on the 2-year and 30-year also firmly lower, after Trump called off plans for fresh strikes against Iran.
—Sean Conlon,hugh Leask, CNBC, 12 June 2026
The jazz drummer Chuck Redd, who called off a Christmas show at the complex, was sued by the Kennedy Center for breach of contract before a judge threw out the case last week.
—Janay Kingsberry, The Atlantic, 12 June 2026
Wrigley and Anderson planned a lavish destination wedding in Ireland and had already sent out invitations, but the wedding was called off because Anderson wouldn’t sign a prenup, a former staffer said.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 11 June 2026
Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2026
The two sides had previously agreed to play a home-and-home in 2027 and 2028, but that was called off in May.
—Connor Riley, AJC.com, 17 June 2026
The driver refused to stop and troopers gave chase but DPS said the troopers lost sight of the vehicle and called off the chase.
—Steven Rosenbaum, CBS News, 16 June 2026
Isar called off a launch attempt on January 21 due to an issue with a pressurization valve, and then halted a countdown on March 25, moments before liftoff, when engineers detected rising temperatures in the rocket’s liquid propane fuel.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 15 June 2026
The official watch party was supposed to be capped at 1,000 people and require fans to have tickets, but it was called off over the attendance cap dispute.
—Matt Moret, New York Times, 13 June 2026
Borrowing costs fell sharply on Thursday, with 10-year Treasury yields down as much as 8 basis points, with yields on the 2-year and 30-year also firmly lower, after Trump called off plans for fresh strikes against Iran.
—Sean Conlon,hugh Leask, CNBC, 12 June 2026
The jazz drummer Chuck Redd, who called off a Christmas show at the complex, was sued by the Kennedy Center for breach of contract before a judge threw out the case last week.
—Janay Kingsberry, The Atlantic, 12 June 2026
Wrigley and Anderson planned a lavish destination wedding in Ireland and had already sent out invitations, but the wedding was called off because Anderson wouldn’t sign a prenup, a former staffer said.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 11 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for called off
Verb
-
Keys got distracted by Sikoa and Knight took control.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
-
Items Made of Quality Materials Stephanie Wells recommends not getting distracted by looking for a particular type of item while thrifting but instead keeping your eyes open to a number of quality materials.—
Sarah Lyon,
Southern Living,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Country singer Tyler Farr canceled his weekend headlining slot at the Goshen Stampede in Connecticut after a motor vehicle accident on his Tennessee farm left him with a severe concussion.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
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That was a long time before Leno made the move to YouTube after Emmy winner Garage was canceled by CNBC back in 2023.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
15 June 2026
Verb
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The core outputs 575 megawatts of thermal energy, which can be diverted for specialized industrial processes like heavy manufacturing or water desalination.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
18 June 2026
-
Prosecutors described the case as the largest pandemic fraud scheme in the country, saying Bock diverted tens of millions in federal money intended to feed hungry children.—
Eric Henderson,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
Verb
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Many of their neighbors have similarly abandoned their pumps for all but household and livestock purposes.—
Allen Best,
Denver Post,
14 June 2026
-
Police found a 15-foot U-Haul truck abandoned on private property with two dogs in the cab.—
Tony Briscoe,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
Verb
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An earlier plan to retain part of the school building facade as the redevelopment design was scrapped, but the contractors plan to salvage key historic artifacts such as the tower bell.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
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Republicans in Congress were refusing to pass an immigration enforcement spending bill until the administration either scrapped the fund or placed limitations on it.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
Verb
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That order was revoked the following year by former President Joe Biden.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
17 June 2026
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The Illinois Department of Public Health has revoked the license of Albany Care psychiatric facility in Evanston, home to about 170 people with mental health and substance abuse issues.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
16 June 2026
Verb
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After Drew pulled out, the plan was aborted.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
4 June 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
Verb
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The extension is expected to generate approximately $925,000 annually and will continue unless repealed by voters.—
Nicole Buss,
Sacbee.com,
12 June 2026
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These quotas stayed in place for four decades — until they were repealed just over 60 years ago, which is when the White House page claims the story of the aliens begins.—
M. Gessen,
Mercury News,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Called off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/called%20off. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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