call upon

phrase

1
: require, oblige
may be called upon to do several jobs
2
: to make a demand on : depend on
universities are called upon to produce trained professionals

Examples of call upon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The model called upon a team of stylists to turn her into the creepy and scaly figure of Greek myth. — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2026 OutKick's Dan Zaksheske has been ready with questions at press conferences but hasn't been called upon. — Matt Calkins Outkick, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026 Even if an available person is never called upon to help, their latent availability nonetheless improves the atmosphere for everyone present. — Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026 Gosling is in every scene of the 156-minute movie, and he’s called upon to play every note on the tonal scale in a performance that utilizes his razor-sharp comic timing before moving into emotionally devastating registers. — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 20 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for call upon

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of call upon was in the 15th century

Rhymes for call upon

See All Rhymes for call upon

Browse Nearby Words

call-up-a-storm
call upon
callus
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Call upon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/call%20upon. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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