call out
Britishverb
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to utter aloud, esp loudly
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(tr) to summon
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(tr) to order (workers) to strike
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(tr) to summon (an employee) to work at a time outside his normal working hours, usually in an emergency
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(tr) to challenge to a duel
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Summon into action or service, as in The governor called out the militia . [Mid-1400s]
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Challenge to a fight, as in To avenge the insult, Arthur called him out . This term originated with dueling and is dying out. [Early 1800s]
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.
There are large tranches of people who I will not call out of the blue.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026
“We talked about our parties in self-deprecating ways. I thought, If we call out the bullshit of everybody on everybody’s side and have a real conversation, this could be interesting,” she said.
From Slate • Apr. 21, 2026
As she came to Little Hulton, a tight-knit community, she heard a male voice call out from the bushes.
From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026
At halftime, our team was walking toward the locker room when I heard Jack call out to me: “Ron, Ron, wait up.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026
The staff call out “Next in line!” and shake open paper bags that crackle.
From "Muffled" by Jennifer Gennari
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.
