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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of called off
Authorities have later called off several of those searches, though in one October operation, two survivors were picked up by a Navy helicopter and repatriated to their home countries of Ecuador and Colombia.
—
CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
Rehearsals for The Simpsons, where Hartman voiced several characters, were also called off the day he was killed.
—Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026
Elsewhere in the region, Formula 1 races set for April in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have been called off.
—ABC News, 8 Apr. 2026
The date of the brunch fell two weeks after Alexis called off her engagement.
—Jenny Singer, Glamour, 8 Apr. 2026
On Monday, Pages called off Teoscar Hernández loud and clear, extending his arm as an extra precaution.
—Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
In the wake of the government’s decision, Festival Republic, the firm that organizes Wireless Festival, said the event would be called off.
—Jack Guy, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2026
If the first launch opportunity gets called off, NASA has a handful of backup options.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026
But the wedding was called off for an undisclosed reason.
—Calvin Watkins, Dallas Morning News, 30 Mar. 2026
CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
Rehearsals for The Simpsons, where Hartman voiced several characters, were also called off the day he was killed.
—Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026
Elsewhere in the region, Formula 1 races set for April in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have been called off.
—ABC News, 8 Apr. 2026
The date of the brunch fell two weeks after Alexis called off her engagement.
—Jenny Singer, Glamour, 8 Apr. 2026
On Monday, Pages called off Teoscar Hernández loud and clear, extending his arm as an extra precaution.
—Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
In the wake of the government’s decision, Festival Republic, the firm that organizes Wireless Festival, said the event would be called off.
—Jack Guy, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2026
If the first launch opportunity gets called off, NASA has a handful of backup options.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026
But the wedding was called off for an undisclosed reason.
—Calvin Watkins, Dallas Morning News, 30 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for called off
Verb
-
Mohan admits she had been distracted by personal problems, and wishes Robby well on his sabbatical.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Then the waiter gets distracted.—
Laura House,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The agency has reportedly cancelled or delayed more than a billion dollars of grants for programs like school desegregation and disability services.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The singer was touring North America at the time of the discovery and canceled the remaining dates after the news broke.—
Nicole Acosta,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
While the small moonlet asteroid Dimorphos posed no threat to Earth, the mission served as a successful demonstration that dangerous space rocks could be diverted from a collision course with Earth.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Construction equipment was mobilized to the project area March 23, and traffic was diverted away from the Twenty Mile Road's northbound lanes and onto the southbound lanes March 25.—
Olivia Young,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
And the paintings began, in part, as a meditation on erasure—a rebuke, of sorts, to a digital regime that had abandoned writing’s tactility.—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The speed problem Imas hasn’t abandoned his fears.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Later that year, the DOJ also scrapped the requirement that airplane manufacturer Boeing have its own independent monitor.—
Ben Weiss,
Fortune,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The wine list was scrapped and replaced mainly with VinZant’s George Vineyard wines.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Kuwait has revoked nationality from more than 70,000 people since 2024, with officials saying its program aims to address fraud.—
Mohammed Sergie,
semafor.com,
20 Apr. 2026
-
But in 2021 president Joe Biden revoked the order; Trump reinstated it in 2026.—
Brian Boucher,
ARTnews.com,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
After a series of mishaps, including a sandstorm, mechanical problems and a helicopter collision, the operation was aborted.—
Sheena Samu,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Officials said the fire truck was responding to another aircraft operated by United Airlines, which had reported an odor issue and aborted its scheduled takeoff.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Trump has ordered that two rules be repealed for every new one imposed.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Voters narrowly approved Measure B in November 2022, which repealed the 106-year-old People’s Ordinance and allowed the City Council to impose a cost-recovery fee for trash, recycling, and organics services.—
Johnny Lee Dang,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Called off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/called%20off. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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