as in repeal
the act of putting an end to something planned or previously agreed to
the calling off of the senior prom is not going to go over well
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in distracting
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in canceling
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 calling off
Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 27 Oct. 2025
Years after calling off their first engagement, Affleck and Lopez reconnected then married in 2022.
—Sarah Jones, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
But lately, more buyers are calling off their deals to look for better ones.
—Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2025
In it, Belly (Lola Tung) is headed to Paris after calling off her wedding to Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno), unsure what the future holds for her.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2025
They were engaged for nearly a year before calling off their wedding less than one month before the date.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Verb
Coffman said that shows officers and their supervisors are judiciously calling off pursuits that become too dangerous.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 27 Oct. 2025
Years after calling off their first engagement, Affleck and Lopez reconnected then married in 2022.
—Sarah Jones, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
But lately, more buyers are calling off their deals to look for better ones.
—Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2025
In it, Belly (Lola Tung) is headed to Paris after calling off her wedding to Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno), unsure what the future holds for her.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2025
They were engaged for nearly a year before calling off their wedding less than one month before the date.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for calling off
Noun
-
To get the issue on the ballot, two-thirds of each chamber of the state Legislature would need to vote to put it on the ballot, which is unlikely, or enough Michigan voters would have to sign petitions seeking a repeal.—
Georgea Kovanis,
Freep.com,
11 Nov. 2025
-
According to Forbes, this repeal mainly affects small businesses.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The Democratic crackup that’s now underway in Washington is distracting the party from a series of brutal fights just ahead that will culminate in next year’s midterms.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Even without mixing and matching, simple gold hoops can offer a sleek and classy look that feels elevated and sophisticated enough for wearing to the office, celebrating milestones, and attending events without being distracting.—
Jessie Quinn,
StyleCaster,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Many Latinos are canceling doctor appointments to head off possible confrontation with immigration enforcement officials.—
Phillip Reese,
CNN Money,
5 Nov. 2025
-
The Ali airport also shutdown overnight, canceling 21 flights or 16% of the day's total flights, according to the airport's executive director Dann Mann.—
Connor Giffin,
Louisville Courier Journal,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Despite the 2025 report (read it here) showing a slight uptick from last year’s 468 to 489 LGBTQ characters across all platforms, that number takes a major blow as more than 200 (41%) of those characters will not return, due to series cancellations, endings or limited series format.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
6 Nov. 2025
-
But finding another seat can be difficult, especially if this lasts into the holidays, or if bad weather causes flight cancellations elsewhere.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
In 1959, Prince Edward County, Virginia, closed its public schools for five years, diverting tax monies to build a K-12 private academy for 1,400 white students and allotting their families tuition grants.—
Equal Justice Initiative,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Videos taken by witnesses show cars diverting and driving away from the scene after capturing the fireball that lights up moments after the crash.—
Julia Gomez,
USA TODAY,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Some of the subpoenaed nonprofits, including FLI, Ekō, and Legal Advocates for Safe Science and Technology, have also been publicly critical of Musk and xAI for, among other things, neglecting or abandoning their commitments to AI safety.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
10 Nov. 2025
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The soldier said that the main concern of troops in the area is that the Ukrainian leadership will try to hold onto what remains of Pokrovsk for as long as possible because abandoning the city would be seen as a major failure.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Advertisement Mamdani’s vision of an equitable, affordable urbanity emerges as a challenge to this long history of abandonment and exclusion.—
Fahad Zuberi,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Cue, Helm’s first rejection, abandonment, difficult emotions.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The next step for Horton, who’s recovering from a fractured right rib, will be throwing off a mound on Tuesday at Wrigley Field.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
What's throwing off the seasons?—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
22 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Calling off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/calling%20off. Accessed 30 Nov. 2025.
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