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.
"It is an issue for of us and it's an issue particularly I think for men to face up to, to stand up to, to call out," he said.
From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026
Somewhat confusingly Berkshire didn’t call out the $1.6 billion goodwill write-down related to certain units in its earnings release Saturday.
From Barron's • Mar. 3, 2026
In a conversation with the Bulwark’s Tim Miller immediately following Spanberger’s response, Buttigieg pointed out Americans’ anxieties surrounding affordability and homed in on a way to call out the GOP’s hypocrisy.
From Salon • Feb. 25, 2026
Due to its realistic nature and unauthorized use of the actors’ likenesses, both SAG-AFTRA and MPA were among the first to call out the platform.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2026
As they rush off, I wave and call out, “Maybe a miracle will happen, and we will meet again someday!”
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
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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.