CALLS OFF Synonyms: 62 Similar and Opposite Words

calls off

verb

present tense third-person singular of call off

as in distracts

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in cancels

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of calls off The episode similarly whisks past any explanation about why Ultron relents and calls off the nanobots. — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 11 Nov. 2026 The president calls off plans to send the National Guard to San Francisco. — Christian Orozco, NBC news, 24 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for calls off

Verb

Theranos whistleblower Tyler Shultz and Bad Blood author John Carreyrou have both weighed in, and Fortune has questioned whether her new persona distracts from the real story.

— Bilin Lin, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2026
Similarly, Sudan hopes that internal conflict in Ethiopia distracts Addis from its support of the rapid support forces militia in Sudan’s war.

— Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of distracts

Verb

The campaign works with debt relief partner ForgiveCo, which purchases qualifying medical debt and cancels it.

— Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 11 Nov. 2026
The bottom line Travel insurance can provide valuable protection when bad weather delays or cancels a flight, but the protection isn't automatic or identical across policies.

— Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 11 Nov. 2026

Definition of cancels

Verb

Five days earlier, the Republican lawmaker had proposed to limit payouts from a voucher program that diverts public tax dollars to private education.

— Henry Culvyhouse, ProPublica, 19 Oct. 2026
Prop 137 diverts money from the state's current sales tax on sporting goods to conservation, wildfire risk mitigation and outdoor recreation programs.

— Shaun Boyd, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of diverts

Verb

The album mostly abandons the saxophone, the instrument Gendel is known for, instead opting for Auto-Tuned rap, glitchy R&B, and corroded 808s.

— Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 6 Nov. 2026
When Felix abandons Victoria at the altar, their families and friends are left to navigate a lavish but increasingly chaotic reception.

— Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of abandons

Verb

Her smile drops; the question throws off the energy of the conversation, almost like a betrayal has occurred.

— Wisdom Iheanyichukwu, Vanity Fair, 2 Nov. 2026
Few directors are better than Mungiu at capturing the non-wisdom of crowds, and every glimpse of the Gheorghius in communion with other Christians throws off an air of mass-smiling menace.

— Justin Chang, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of throws off

Verb

The pair of bills scraps the state’s ban on community colleges offering any bachelor’s degree already available at CSU or UC, and replaces it with a system built around regional workforce needs and a district college’s performance.

— Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026
Now, so this rule changes that policy and pretty much scraps the requirement for those interviews to take place, which are really kind of integral to the process.

— Dana Taylor, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026