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.
Brighthouse has also said that Aquarian could call off the merger if regulators require changes to Brighthouse’s captive reinsurer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
Ahead of the action, easyJet urged staff to call off the strike on such a busy weekend.
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
His comments followed his decision over the weekend to call off what he had billed as the biggest military attack since World War II to give talks a chance to proceed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
On Wednesday, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, dozens of opposition MPs, activists and celebrities renewed their request to him to call off his hunger strike.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Such sessions were delicate, as my fellow prisoners knew that the authorities would attempt to influence me to call off the strike.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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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.