call off

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/ˌkɔːl ˈɒf/
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A practical phrasal verb for canceling planned things, restraining people or animals, and in rarer uses drawing attention away or reading items aloud.
Practice using call off in conversation until it feels natural

Examples

  • The teacher called off the answers from the key.
  • She called off the numbers while I checked the tickets.
  • The clerk called off the names from the waiting list.
  • The company called off the merger talks late Friday.
  • We had to call off the picnic when the park flooded.

Similar words

rein in
halt
suspend
scrap
turn aside
cancel
pull away
call out
read out
distract

Meanings

Cancel a plan

everyday
neutral
To cancel, abandon, or end something that was planned or already under way.

Usage

Use call off when a planned event, search, strike, deal, or activity will not continue.

Examples

  • The league called off Saturday's match after heavy rain.
  • We had to call off the picnic when the park flooded.
  • The company called off the merger talks late Friday.
  • Police called off the search at dusk.
  • After the sponsor withdrew, organizers called off the festival.

Common mistakes

The particle off is dropped, or a pronoun is put after it.
IncorrectCorrect
The league called Saturday's match. The league called off Saturday's match.
They called off it at the last minute. They called it off at the last minute.
We called off the meeting to next week. We postponed the meeting to next week.

Similar words

cancel
scrap
abandon
drop
suspend
halt
abort

Order someone away

commands
neutral
To make a person or animal stop attacking, threatening, crowding, or pursuing someone.

Usage

Use call off when the person in control orders a dog, guard, crowd, or pursuer to stop and move away.

Examples

  • The owner called off the dog before it reached the cyclist.
  • Security called off the guards when the alarm proved false.
  • The coach called off the players who were surrounding the referee.
  • She called off her supporters before the protest turned ugly.
  • Police called off the officers once the suspect surrendered.

Common mistakes

The object being restrained is left vague, or the phrase is confused with starting an attack.
IncorrectCorrect
The owner called off when the dog barked at us. The owner called off the dog when it barked at us.
He called the dog off on the cyclist. He called off the dog before it reached the cyclist.
The commander called off the troops to attack. The commander ordered the troops to attack.

Similar words

restrain
pull back
call away
hold back
rein in
wave off

Draw attention away

attention
formal
To draw someone, their attention, or their effort away from what they were doing.

Usage

Use call off in this rarer sense when an interruption or new duty diverts attention from a task.

Examples

  • The announcement called off his attention just as the vote began.
  • A sudden shout called the nurse off her paperwork.
  • The emergency called off several engineers from routine maintenance.
  • The arrival of reporters called off the manager's focus.
  • The urgent page called the doctor off her break.

Common mistakes

The phrase is overused where ordinary distract or pull away would be clearer.
IncorrectCorrect
The phone called off me from work. The phone distracted me from work.
Her attention called off by the noise. Her attention was called off by the noise.
The joke called off his attention to the lesson. The joke drew his attention away from the lesson.

Similar words

distract
divert
draw away
pull away
deflect
turn aside

Read a list aloud

communication
neutral
To read or announce items one after another from a list.

Usage

Use call off for names, numbers, scores, or other listed items that are spoken out in order.

Examples

  • The clerk called off the names from the waiting list.
  • She called off the numbers while I checked the tickets.
  • The teacher called off the answers from the key.
  • He called off the stations as the train slowed down.
  • The host called off the winning ticket numbers.

Common mistakes

It is confused with canceling the list, or the object being read is omitted.
IncorrectCorrect
The clerk called off the list. The clerk called off the names on the list.
She called the numbers from the sheet. She called off the numbers from the sheet.
He called off loudly. He called off the scores loudly.

Similar words

read out
call out
announce
recite
read off
list aloud

Usage

Use call off chiefly for cancellation, and keep the object clear because pronouns normally sit between call and off.

Common mistakes

Leaving out off turns cancellation into ordinary calling, and called off it should be called it off.

Etymology

From call plus off. The summon-away sense is recorded from the early 1600s, while the canceling sense is recorded from the late 1800s.

FAQ

What does call off mean?

Call off usually means to cancel something planned, and it can also mean to order a person or animal to stop or move away.

Is call off the same as cancel?

Call off often means cancel, especially for meetings, games, searches, strikes, and plans.

Can call off be used with a dog?

Yes. Call off the dog means to order the dog to stop attacking, chasing, or threatening someone.

Where does a pronoun go with call off?

A pronoun normally goes between the verb and particle, so call it off is natural and call off it is wrong.

Can call off mean read aloud?

Yes, but it is less common. Call off the names can mean read the names aloud from a list.

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