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
-
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
-
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
-
to telephone
noun
call up
Idioms
-
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 .
-
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:
While Brisbane Broncos prop Ben Talty is yet to feature for England, late call-up Kallum Watkins is another on the interchange bench with Victor Radley and Jack Welsby dropping out.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
He had joked with reporters that he hadn’t been sure if rumors of his call-up were true because “as everyone knows, you can’t believe what’s in the paper.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026
If he is succession planning for 33-year-old Kane, given a paucity of top-flight options, a Lankshear call-up may not be so far-fetched.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
Kristi Montgomery has been given a first call-up for Scotland after Kieran Tierney and Kenny McLean dropped out of the Nations League squad.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
The military exercised its largest call-up since the war.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
A chattering squirrel or darting bunny might distract or call up a distant memory.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
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
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
It was too late to call up for a cab or anything, so I walked the whole way to the station.
From "The Catcher in the Rye" by J. D. Salinger
Jacob Bethell will return for England's white-ball tour of Australia, while there are also first international call-ups for exciting prospects Thomas Rew and Eddie Jack.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
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
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
At the same time, Morocco was steadily reshaping its approach - forging close ties with dual-national players long before senior call-ups became a reality.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
