call off
Britishverb
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to cancel or abandon
the game was called off because of rain
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to order (an animal or person) to desist or summon away
the man called off his dog
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to stop (something) or give the order to stop
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Summon away, restrain, as in Please call off your dog . [Early 1600s]
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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]
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.
Ahead of the action, easyJet urged staff to call off the strike on such a busy weekend.
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
The National Park Service has mandated guardrails for the work, including the potential presence of “protected species observers” who would call off drilling if marine mammals are nearby.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
"I'm praying that he will call off his hunger strike. He can fight for our children only when he's strong," he said.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
Then, diplomats from Qatar and Pakistan raced in, ferrying messages between Tehran and Washington that a peace deal was almost done on Wednesday and convincing Trump to call off new strikes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026
It would have been a good idea to call off the Plumbers before they got caught, but no one did.
From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge
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.
