call-up
noun
an order to report for active military service.
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call-up
American
[kawl-uhp]
/ ˈkɔlˌʌp /
noun
-
call-ups
plural
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an order to report for active military service.
-
the number of persons drafted during a specific period of time.
The November call-up was set at 15,000.
-
a call or urging to service.
call up
British
verb
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to summon to report for active military service, as in time of war
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(tr) to recall (something); evoke
his words called up old memories
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(tr) to bring or summon (people, etc) into action
to call up reinforcements
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to telephone
noun
call up
Idioms
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Summon to military service, as in He was called up for active duty . [Late 1600s]
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Cause to remember, bring to mind, as in These stories call up old times . [c. 1700] Also see call to mind .
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Telephone someone, as in I'll call up the theater and find out about tickets . [Late 1800s]
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Retrieve data from a computer memory, as in I asked him to call up the last quarter's sales figures . [Second half of 1900s]
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of call-up
First recorded in 1625–35; noun use of verb phrase call up
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
And there is no obvious replacement on the 40-man roster pushing for a call-up through an extended period of outstanding play.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026
The 20-year-old was a revelation on loan at Kilmarnock in the second half of last season, earning a call-up to Scotland's World Cup squad.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
Ryan, who made four major-league starts in 2024, has the stuff to compete in the majors, but health has kept him from another call-up.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
None of them is a full-time MLB umpire but rather a minor-league call-up tapped only when needed, yet they are faring better with ABS than their more established peers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Because of Margot’s call-up notice, the plan had to be moved up ten days, which meant we’d have to make do with less orderly rooms.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
Many people do not have primary care physicians, and often those who do cannot easily call up their doctors to ask questions.
From Slate ● Aug. 26, 2026
They continually call up guys, have them make one appearance and then no matter how successful they are sent down for a “fresh arm.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
Since those games, he accepted an England Under-17 call up last year and has four goals in nine appearances, scoring on his debut against Venezuela.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
Translations are necessarily interpretations, and what these men and women saw in Kafka call up signal themes of the 20th century.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026
“Put down that broom and get on that phonograph before 1 call up the precinct,” Lana hollered at him.
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
So, when manager Dave Roberts was asked in Detroit whether the Dodgers would consider setting up a left-field platoon with the team’s September call-ups, he said yes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
As expected, Stoke City defender Luke Graham and Sevilla striker Robbie Ure receive their first senior call-ups.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
By late August, it was obvious Freeman would be among the Braves’ call-ups when rosters expanded on Sept. 1.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
Owori also featured for Uganda's national team during the 2021 Africa Cup of nations qualifying campaign and was regarded as a strong contender for future call-ups to the Cranes.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
As well as Pattinson and Denton, there have been call-ups for Tottenham's Ella Morris and Manchester City's Naomi Layzell before they sustained lengthy injuries.
From BBC ● Mar. 1, 2026
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
