call off

verb

called off; calling off; calls off

transitive verb

1
: to draw away : divert
2
: cancel

Examples of call off in a Sentence

she was about to tell me the big news when her attention was called off by the arrival of another guest called off the party after half of those invited couldn't make it
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
But after a federal judge blocked the merger over concerns that the combination of the two budget airlines would be anti-competitive, Spirit and JetBlue called off their $3.8 billion deal this past March. Quartz Staff, Quartz, 13 Nov. 2024 Your generosity should have been acknowledged, and when the wedding was called off, your money should have been returned rather than applied to a mother/daughter vacation. Jeanne Phillips, The Mercury News, 5 Nov. 2024 Now, some of those same museums, once eager to be associated with Wiley, are calling off his shows. Rachel Corbett, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2024 Texas lawmakers were expected to hear testimony at the state Capitol on Monday from Robert Roberson, a death row inmate whose execution was temporarily called off last week. Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for call off 

Word History

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of call off was in 1606

Dictionary Entries Near call off

Cite this Entry

“Call off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/call%20off. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

call off

verb
1
: to draw away : divert
call off a dog
2
: cancel sense 2a
call off a meeting

More from Merriam-Webster on call off

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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