call-up
noun
an order to report for active military service.
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call-up
American
[kawl-uhp]
/ ˈkɔlˌʌp /
noun
-
call-ups
plural
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an order to report for active military service.
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the number of persons drafted during a specific period of time.
The November call-up was set at 15,000.
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a call or urging to service.
call up
British
verb
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to summon to report for active military service, as in time of war
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(tr) to recall (something); evoke
his words called up old memories
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(tr) to bring or summon (people, etc) into action
to call up reinforcements
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to telephone
noun
call up
Idioms
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Summon to military service, as in He was called up for active duty . [Late 1600s]
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Cause to remember, bring to mind, as in These stories call up old times . [c. 1700] Also see call to mind .
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Telephone someone, as in I'll call up the theater and find out about tickets . [Late 1800s]
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Retrieve data from a computer memory, as in I asked him to call up the last quarter's sales figures . [Second half of 1900s]
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
See Examples For:
Pride hit .444 with three extra-base hits and five RBIs in nine at-bats as a September call-up for the Expos in 1993.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
And there is no obvious replacement on the 40-man roster pushing for a call-up through an extended period of outstanding play.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026
For Rasool, Auqib's Test call-up carries significance far beyond one player.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
None of them is a full-time MLB umpire but rather a minor-league call-up tapped only when needed, yet they are faring better with ABS than their more established peers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
“Father has received a call-up notice from the SS,” she whispered.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
Many people do not have primary care physicians, and often those who do cannot easily call up their doctors to ask questions.
From Slate ● Aug. 26, 2026
They continually call up guys, have them make one appearance and then no matter how successful they are sent down for a “fresh arm.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
Asked whether he thinks she will take him up on the offer of playing tennis with George and Charlotte, Fery said: "Let's see, I don't know. Let's see if I get the call up."
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
The Jamaican side have been forced to call up a number of academy players for the fixture.
From BBC ● Mar. 10, 2026
She didn’t write notes about me on the lavatory walls, leave slimy things in my jacket pockets, or have her mother call up my mama and discuss my behavior.
From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan
So, when manager Dave Roberts was asked in Detroit whether the Dodgers would consider setting up a left-field platoon with the team’s September call-ups, he said yes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
Spin-bowling all-rounder Arafat Minhas, left-arm seamer Mohammed Imran Jr, wicketkeeper Said Baig and all-rounders Mohammad Imran and Razaullah have all received call-ups.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
By late August, it was obvious Freeman would be among the Braves’ call-ups when rosters expanded on Sept. 1.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
Rooney has spoken previously about some of Tuchel's call-ups for his World Cup squad and his "shock" at Harry Maguire's omission.
From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026
Arriving at Villa after winning a second European Championship with England Under-21s, it has been other young players such as Elliot Anderson and Alex Scott who have earned senior call-ups this season.
From BBC ● Feb. 3, 2026
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.
