as in canceling
to put an end to (something planned or previously agreed to)
their film deal had been abruptly cried off, and now the filmmakers were back to square one
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 crying off
People were crying off-camera a lot.
—
Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crying off
Verb
-
Airplane cabins aren’t exactly known for being quiet, which is where Tozo’s noise-canceling earbuds come in handy.—
Francesca Krempa,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Mar. 2026
-
In addition to the loss of manpower, VOA cut its broadcast infrastructure, canceling contracts with satellite providers last year to broadcast into Middle Eastern countries, according to VOA employees.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
More than a dozen other signs reference a former redlight district, the Civil War, and a presidential party abandoning a leaky ship and swimming to shore.—
Madison Dapcevich,
Outside,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Agents exchanged unverified data, and discussed abandoning English in favor of a machine-native language.—
Victoria Bousis,
Rolling Stone,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Earlier Friday, Takaichi’s governing Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner Japan Innovation Party submitted a proposal calling for scrapping restrictions on lethal weapons sales, in a further break from Japan's postwar pacifist principle.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The alliance is also scrapping the Port of Jebel Ali, the largest port in the Middle East, from the ME11/IOS Middle East-to-North Europe loop.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The caucus and the Sikh Coalition had originally filed a lawsuit in December 2025, alleging California did not follow the proper process and broke state law by revoking the licenses.—
Ashley Sharp,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Sanctions end | Obama signs an executive order revoking sanctions against Iran that were originally designed as consequences for its nuclear weapons program.—
Erin Mansfield,
USA Today,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Her behavior led to the pilots aborting takeoff.—
Marina Watts,
PEOPLE,
2 Jan. 2026
-
An investigation by the Spanish outlet La Marea uncovered contracts that restricted women’s movements during pregnancy, including clauses prohibiting travel abroad or aborting the fetus.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Johnson, of the American Cancer Society, pushed back on arguments that repealing the program would save the state money.—
Sarah Cutler,
Idaho Statesman,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The measure appears likely to appear on the ballot because the sponsors, the Lincoln Club Business League, plan to rely on the much lower threshold required under state law for measures repealing taxes and fees.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The news that Glass was calling off his appearance also caught off guard the National Symphony Orchestra.—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The university cited budget cuts as the reason for calling off this year's dinner for the first time in its almost 60-year history, according to a letter posted by the Black Student Union.—
Heather Bushman,
IndyStar,
16 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crying off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crying%20off. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
