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 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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of called off
In January, Sting issued a statement about an unspecified illness that prompted his shows in Arizona and California to be called off.
—
Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
Over the past half-decade, the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival has been called off three times, leaving behind unrealized lineups, swampy farmlands, and heartbroken fans.
—Audrey Gibbs, The Tennessean, 3 Sep. 2025
After Belly and Jeremiah called off their wedding, Belly is on a journey to find herself without the Fisher brothers.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
The news comes months after Sweeney and ex-fiancé Jonathan Davino called off their engagement.
—Gillian Telling, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Some student activist groups and civil society groups called off protests on Monday, fearing a harsher crackdown from authorities.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 1 Sep. 2025
Some students and civil society groups called off their protest on Monday, citing fears of heightened security measures imposed after deadly riots across the country on the weekend, Reuters reported.
—Kathleen Magramo, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2025
Before the plan could be implemented, the Star-Telegram published news of the split that had leaked online in early January, and the proposal was called off in early March after several weeks of controversy.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Aug. 2025
Chicago was a late replacement for Cleveland, which called off the party in 1957, for financial reasons.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
Over the past half-decade, the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival has been called off three times, leaving behind unrealized lineups, swampy farmlands, and heartbroken fans.
—Audrey Gibbs, The Tennessean, 3 Sep. 2025
After Belly and Jeremiah called off their wedding, Belly is on a journey to find herself without the Fisher brothers.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
The news comes months after Sweeney and ex-fiancé Jonathan Davino called off their engagement.
—Gillian Telling, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Some student activist groups and civil society groups called off protests on Monday, fearing a harsher crackdown from authorities.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 1 Sep. 2025
Some students and civil society groups called off their protest on Monday, citing fears of heightened security measures imposed after deadly riots across the country on the weekend, Reuters reported.
—Kathleen Magramo, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2025
Before the plan could be implemented, the Star-Telegram published news of the split that had leaked online in early January, and the proposal was called off in early March after several weeks of controversy.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Aug. 2025
Chicago was a late replacement for Cleveland, which called off the party in 1957, for financial reasons.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for called off
Verb
-
No smear campaign distracted them.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Toward the end of the first set and beginning of the second, Anisimova appeared distracted by the lights and the roof, which were closed due to heavy rain in New York.—
Adam Zagoria,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The incident caused a lengthy closure of southbound lanes of I-15 as the shooting was investigated, with vehicles initially being diverted to SR-163 on Friday evening.—
Karen Kucher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 Sep. 2025
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While the process looks different today, and much is diverted to more modern structures like shopping malls, water diversion in places such as Maui used to be laid out naturally flowing from the mountains to the ocean in land division called ahupuaʻa.—
Jessica Rendall,
Space.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Though Davies planned to reunite the band for a tour in 2015, it was canceled when the musician was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of cancer that attacks plasma cells.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Sep. 2025
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Last year, Romania controversially canceled the turnout of a presidential election that produced a victory for a far-right independent, arguing his campaign was backed by Russian interference and disqualifying his candidacy.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Before 2014, the building was abandoned and MIA wanted to tear it down.—
Vinod Sreeharsha,
Miami Herald,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Drummond is blamed for the deaths of the parents, grandmother and uncle of an infant found abandoned in a home's front yard in rural west Tennessee.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Spirit’s plan to launch service in Macon, Georgia, in mid-October also has been scrapped.—
Kevin Fixler,
Idaho Statesman,
3 Sep. 2025
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But those plans were scrapped after the Disney-Fox merger, when Marvel put mutants on hold and turned its attention to expanding its interconnected multiverse of movies and TV shows.—
Shania Russell,
EW.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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After his asylum was revoked in June, the federal government accused Soliman of having ties to terrorist groups.—
Victoria Moorwood,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
5 Sep. 2025
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The decision came a day after Washington revoked Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co's authorization to ship key chipmaking equipment and technology to its manufacturing plant in China, the latest move to curb Beijing's semiconductor advances.—
Evelyn Cheng,Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Called off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/called%20off. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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