call off

British  

verb

1. to cancel or abandon

   the game was called off because of rain

2. to order (an animal or person) to desist or summon away

   the man called off his dog

3. to stop (something) or give the order to stop

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call off Idioms  

1. Summon away, restrain, as in Please call off your dog . [Early 1600s]

2. Cancel some plan or undertaking, as in She decided to call off their engagement , or In case of rain the picnic will be called off . [Late 1800s]

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Example Sentences

Formula 1 recently called off April’s races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, two of its most lucrative race contracts, causing that stock to drop 11% so far in March.

From Barron's

Outdoor events have been called off, roads are closed and some flights have been cancelled with weather warnings set to stay in force throughout the weekend.

From BBC

A formal decision to call off the races has not yet been made but is expected before the end of the weekend.

From BBC

Strike action planned for schools in six Scottish council areas next week has been called off after a deal on teacher workload was agreed.

From BBC

Indonesian rescuers have called off the search for victims of a landslide at the country's largest open landfill after pulling seven bodies out from under debris, an official said Tuesday.

From Barron's