call for
Idioms-
Go to get someone or something, as in John said he'd call for Mary at eight , or Someone's at the door, calling for the package . [First half of 1600s]
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Summon someone or something. For example, The audience called for the playwright , or The judge called for the verdict . [First half of 1500s]
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Require, demand, as in This job calls for a lot of patience . [First half of 1700s] Also see no call for ; uncalled for .
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.
You can call for him to screen all day.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
In neighbouring Bangladesh, students gave a call for a "torch rally" on Thursday evening to express their solidarity for protesters in Delhi.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
All of these recipes call for store-bought chicken stock but, of course, you can use homemade stock, too.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
Domenico Pianese, the Secretary-General of the police union, criticised Lepore's decision to call for a demonstration that later descended into chaos.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
“May I place a call for you now?”
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
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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.