1
as in to distract
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 to cancel
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 call off
Search teams began looking for Shelton on Sunday morning, but called off the investigation Monday after law enforcement began investigating it as a killing.
—
Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 14 May 2025
The hunt in 2015 was supposed to last a week but was called off after just two days and 298 dead bears.
—Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 May 2025
Expecting parents don’t have the option to delay that purchase until Trump blinks and calls off his trade war.
—Lindsay Owens, Rolling Stone, 9 May 2025
The annual Cinco de Mayo parade in Pilsen was called off this year after nearly half of the parade sponsors dropped out, organizers said.
—Laura Rodríguez Presa, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for call off
Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 14 May 2025
The hunt in 2015 was supposed to last a week but was called off after just two days and 298 dead bears.
—Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 May 2025
Expecting parents don’t have the option to delay that purchase until Trump blinks and calls off his trade war.
—Lindsay Owens, Rolling Stone, 9 May 2025
The annual Cinco de Mayo parade in Pilsen was called off this year after nearly half of the parade sponsors dropped out, organizers said.
—Laura Rodríguez Presa, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for call off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for call off
Verb
-
Growth must reinforce strategy, not distract from it.—
Ayo Adepoju,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
-
But when the pair get to a higher point in order to try to see where the Wolves are/where Tommy might be, Ellie is distracted by a nearby aquarium, which has a giant ferris wheel nearby.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
25 May 2025
Verb
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The news came just days after the Trump administration canceled funding for Moderna to develop a vaccine against potential pandemic flu viruses, including the H5N1 bird flu, despite promising early study results.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
31 May 2025
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Musk has faced fierce backlash over his drastic cuts to the government's budget, including canceling thousands of federal jobs, and the dismantling of entire agencies.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 May 2025
Verb
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The westbound lanes on I-88 near Route 53 in DuPage County have now reopened after a fatal crash near Lisle had shut down the lanes and diverted traffic to other routes, Illinois State Police said.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
20 May 2025
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External pressure will not divert Israel from its path in defending its existence and security against enemies who seek its destruction.—
Rachel Wolf,
FOXNews.com,
20 May 2025
Verb
-
The property had been abandoned for about three years, according to Dawkins.—
Chase Jordan,
Charlotte Observer,
29 May 2025
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Ford abandoned its stake in its robotaxi developer Argo.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
29 May 2025
Verb
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The 38-year-old threw off the bullpen mound at Dodger Stadium on Monday, his first session since landing on the injured list.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
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In a person infected with COVID, the balance is thrown off and the production of those molecules is disrupted, which research shows can lead to blood clots or other blood disorders.—
Jackie Fortiér,
NPR,
30 May 2025
Verb
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But that idea gets scrapped not long after it’s introduced.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
22 May 2025
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Aspinall took that fight on short notice when the original main event for that card, Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic for Jones's heavyweight title was scrapped following an injury to Jones.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2025
Verb
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The stage is now set for the NFLPA’s Committee on Agent Regulation and Discipline (CARD) to suspend France, or perhaps revoke his agent certification entirely.—
Chris Deubert,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
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Inquiring minds would love to know whether the 22% of its student body at Wharton that is from out of the country will also have their visas revoked and be turned away.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
30 May 2025
Verb
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The loss of contact resulted in two commercial jets abruptly aborting landings to prevent a potential collision, the outlet reports.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
People.com,
24 May 2025
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McIntosh's announcement comes just after the U.S. Army temporarily halted helicopter flight operations near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport after two commercial aircraft were forced to abort landings due to the presence of an Army Black Hawk helicopter en route to the Pentagon.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Call off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/call%20off. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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