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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cancelled
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 called off
So, months after the official search for Zooey (KJ Romani) is called off, Abby takes matters into her own hands and continues looking for the girl.
—
Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025
After a 2025 edition was called off six months to go , the Sick New World festival will be back in 2026 with two huge one-day concerts in Las Vegas and Fort Worth, Texas, with System of a Down headlining both events.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 22 Oct. 2025
The clash of views and the depth of the politics involved was further underlined by Ayoub Khan, a member of parliament for the Birmingham Perry Barr constituency, signing a petition calling for the game to be called off, staged in a neutral country or held without an away crowd.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
The show originally aired annually from 1995 to 2018, but the 2019 show was called off due to poor ratings and public scrutiny towards former organizer, Edward Razek, over comments about transgender and plus-sized models.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2025
The president also reportedly called off efforts to reach a diplomatic solution with Venezuela.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
Following Odom's overdose, Khloé called off the divorce proceedings in October 2015, only to file for a divorce for a second time in May 2016.
—Andrea Wurzburger, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025
Nearly one year later, however, sources confirmed in September 2025 that the couple had called off their engagement and had gone their separate ways.
—Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2025
But the ship’s mayday alert is called off the next day when a head count reveals that nobody is missing and Lo is informed that cabin 10 was never occupied.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2025
Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025
After a 2025 edition was called off six months to go , the Sick New World festival will be back in 2026 with two huge one-day concerts in Las Vegas and Fort Worth, Texas, with System of a Down headlining both events.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 22 Oct. 2025
The clash of views and the depth of the politics involved was further underlined by Ayoub Khan, a member of parliament for the Birmingham Perry Barr constituency, signing a petition calling for the game to be called off, staged in a neutral country or held without an away crowd.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
The show originally aired annually from 1995 to 2018, but the 2019 show was called off due to poor ratings and public scrutiny towards former organizer, Edward Razek, over comments about transgender and plus-sized models.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2025
The president also reportedly called off efforts to reach a diplomatic solution with Venezuela.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
Following Odom's overdose, Khloé called off the divorce proceedings in October 2015, only to file for a divorce for a second time in May 2016.
—Andrea Wurzburger, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025
Nearly one year later, however, sources confirmed in September 2025 that the couple had called off their engagement and had gone their separate ways.
—Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2025
But the ship’s mayday alert is called off the next day when a head count reveals that nobody is missing and Lo is informed that cabin 10 was never occupied.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for called off
Verb
-
Animals at this time are moving for migration, and they’re distracted by breeding and hunting season.—
Owen Clarke,
Outside,
20 Oct. 2025
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Cramer said the rally was foreseeable, but many investors were distracted by persistent negativity.—
Luke Fountain,
CNBC,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
His double in the final — a cheeky free kick and a left-footed volley at the back-post — officially took his tournament tally up to five, but the Famalicao forward saw three further shots diverted into the net for own goals.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
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The film, produced by Star Platinum, dramatizes a 1970 incident in which a communist group hijacked a passenger plane and diverted it to Pyongyang.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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After previously awarded National Endowment for the Humanities grants to organizations around the country were canceled in April, Wisconsin Humanities went into survival mode and launched an emergency fundraising campaign.—
Jim Higgins,
jsonline.com,
27 Oct. 2025
-
It was canceled before the end of the first season.—
Jenny Porter Tilley,
IndyStar,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Charlie had been abandoned and then rescued and fostered by a man in Jacksonville.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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Fianna Fail’s pick, former Gaelic football coach Jim Gavin, abandoned his bid due to a financial scandal.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In 2017, the streamer scrapped its five-star ratings, replacing them with thumbs-up/thumbs-down buttons.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
22 Oct. 2025
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Production on season one had fallen woefully behind schedule, as whole episodes were scrapped, scripts were written at the eleventh hour and producers, including Bell, began second-guessing the series’ tone.—
Lacey Rose,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In this there’s a distinct echo of the process currently in use for determining which visas (permanent or temporary) will be revoked under the current administration.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
23 Oct. 2025
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However, with zero professional activity to show for several months, her contract was indeed revoked.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Called off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/called%20off. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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