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Synonyms

call-up

American  
[kawl-uhp] / ˈkɔlˌʌp /

noun

  1. an order to report for active military service.

  2. the number of persons drafted during a specific period of time.

    The November call-up was set at 15,000.

  3. a call or urging to service.

call up British  

verb

  1. to summon to report for active military service, as in time of war

  2. (tr) to recall (something); evoke

    his words called up old memories

  3. (tr) to bring or summon (people, etc) into action

    to call up reinforcements

  4. to telephone

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

    1. a general order to report for military service

    2. the number of men so summoned

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
call up Idioms  

  1. Summon to military service, as in He was called up for active duty . [Late 1600s]

  2. Cause to remember, bring to mind, as in These stories call up old times . [c. 1700] Also see call to mind .

  3. Telephone someone, as in I'll call up the theater and find out about tickets . [Late 1800s]

  4. Retrieve data from a computer memory, as in I asked him to call up the last quarter's sales figures . [Second half of 1900s]

Etymology

Origin of call-up

First recorded in 1625–35; noun use of verb phrase call up

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.

In a short video posted on Everton's X account, Garner said he was "really happy" about his first senior call-up.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

Osman believes that another standout performance against an Arsenal midfield featuring Declan Rice can help cement Garner's own prospects of a first England call-up.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026

Over 53 games after his May call-up, the highly regarded prospect batted .204 with a .258 on-base percentage, .582 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, four home runs and 24 RBIs.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 22, 2026

He earned a call-up for the Kiwis in 2002 and made four Test appearances before switching to represent Samoa at the 2008 World Cup, when he scored two tries in three matches.

From BBC • Feb. 17, 2026

When she and I were sitting in our bedroom, Margot told me that the call-up was not for Father, but for her.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank

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.