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.
You can't call out the manager like that tactically.
From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026
The “American Idol” alum took to social media on Saturday to call out Art of Play, a high-end “curiosity shop” that sells puzzles, games and other whimsical goods, for her negative experience during a visit.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
It’s important that party elders call out bigotry wherever it emerges, including within their ranks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
The group Human Rights Watch called on German leaders during the visit to "publicly call out the United Arab Emirates' human rights record and its role in regional conflicts".
From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026
Now I couldn’t call out even if I wanted to.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
