call off

verb

called off; calling off; calls off

transitive verb

1

: to draw away : divert

2

: cancel

Synonyms of call off

• distract
• divert
• throw off

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

Stanton also reviewed Tennessee’s procedures after Lee called off a different execution in 2022 and found the state did not comply with its own lethal injection process. — Jeffrey Collins, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026

Idaho called off the execution of Thomas Eugene Creech in 2024 after execution team members could not place a viable IV after eight attempts. — ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026

After two Grand Prix races were called off amid tensions in West Asia earlier this year, one of them made a unique comeback to the calendar by choosing a different venue than originally planned. — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 1 Oct. 2026

Geopolitical turmoil is as good an excuse as any to call off a film festival. — Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for call off

• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff
• playoff

Kids Definition

call off

verb

1

: to draw away : divert

call off a dog

2

: cancel sense 2a

call off a meeting