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.
That prompted ABC to call off the premiere days before it was set to run.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
A formal decision to call off the races has not yet been made but is expected before the end of the weekend.
From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026
At the time Alekseyev was filmed sitting with Prigozhin in a Russian military compound taken over by Wagner, trying to convince the mercenary chief to call off his troops.
From Barron's • Feb. 6, 2026
In response, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said that he would call off the campaign, effective Monday.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 25, 2025
Why didn’t it show itself so he could just throw her into the dungeon and call off this ridiculous competition?
From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
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.
