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.
But sometimes the justices also put out a call for this complex to give them a reason to do something.
From Slate ● Aug. 16, 2026
Some 1,000 people from 18 different villages and settlements remain evacuated, though weather forecasts call for some welcome light rain and lower temperatures.
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
Few voices call for absolute isolation, not when the United Nations warns that 22 million Afghans – nearly half the of the population – rely on some form of foreign assistance to help them survive.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
“Given the last 100 days’ performance, we continue to believe that Fermi is grossly undervalued and reiterate our call for a strategic, full-value dual process and governance review.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
On December 19, 2007, Morgan Stanley held a call for investors.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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.
