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
-
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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Kelly is diverting her eyes to the politics always in every film.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
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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Elder Scrolls Online, like any other MMO, is the type of game many players spend hundreds of even thousands of hours playing over the course of several years, so asking them to abandon an account with that type of legacy just to play with someone on another platform is a very big ask.—
David Jagneaux,
Forbes.com,
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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To save costs, modifications recommended for the Electra after the Hawaii crash—stronger radios, better direction-finding gear, upgrades to the emergency equipment—were scaled back or scrapped.—
Laurie Gwen Shapiro,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
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That drop was scrapped, but the Air Force 1 Low is now slated to release in the fall.—
Ian Servantes for Footwear News,
Robb Report,
1 June 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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Trump has issued a presidential memorandum revoking the security clearances of lawyers at the firm Covington & Burlington who were part of Smith’s cases against Trump.—
Naomi Lim,
The Washington Examiner,
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 6 Jun. 2025.
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