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.
Was Neville right to call out Man Utd for a 'lack of effort'?
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
Of course, Nicole Kidman was on hand to call out the “SVU” star on her remarks that sounded eerily familiar to her AMC commercial.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
"We all have a duty to call out bad behaviour whenever we see it."
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
It’s rare for any TV news outfit to call out its own regulators in such an unabashed manner.
From Slate ● Aug. 18, 2026
“Don’t worry. My dad will call out the chords for you.”
From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
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.
