1
as in distracted
to draw the attention or mind to something else
she was about to tell me the big news when her attention was called off by the arrival of another guest
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in canceled
to put an end to (something planned or previously agreed to)
called off the party after half of those invited couldn't make it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of called off
The pair once again called off their romance two years later.
—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
3 July 2026
Mission managers called off two launch attempts Tuesday and Wednesday due to poor weather around the L-1011’s staging base on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands.
—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
3 July 2026
As Americans around the nation celebrate the nation's 250th anniversary this week, a parade that had been slated to take place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Friday was called off due to scorching temperatures expected in the city.
—
Alex Nitzberg,
FOXNews.com,
3 July 2026
The pair called off their engagement in 2020 after 10 years together.
—
Brenton Blanchet,
PEOPLE,
1 July 2026
Local authorities in the Crimean Peninsula – a popular summer vacation destination for Russians – have cancelled children’s camps in recent days and called off all outdoor sport activities until further notice.
—
Daria Tarasova-Markina,
CNN Money,
24 June 2026
However, things took a turn, when the pair called off their engagement in November 2020.
—
Christina Perrier,
InStyle,
24 June 2026
After police determined the suspect was no longer in the area, CMPD called off the search.
—
Zaire Breedlove,
Charlotte Observer,
24 June 2026
Those plans have since been called off, but the discourse still loomed large over the shoot.
—
Alex Jhamb Burns,
Vogue,
23 June 2026
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
3 July 2026
Mission managers called off two launch attempts Tuesday and Wednesday due to poor weather around the L-1011’s staging base on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands.
—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
3 July 2026
As Americans around the nation celebrate the nation's 250th anniversary this week, a parade that had been slated to take place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Friday was called off due to scorching temperatures expected in the city.
—
Alex Nitzberg,
FOXNews.com,
3 July 2026
The pair called off their engagement in 2020 after 10 years together.
—
Brenton Blanchet,
PEOPLE,
1 July 2026
Local authorities in the Crimean Peninsula – a popular summer vacation destination for Russians – have cancelled children’s camps in recent days and called off all outdoor sport activities until further notice.
—
Daria Tarasova-Markina,
CNN Money,
24 June 2026
However, things took a turn, when the pair called off their engagement in November 2020.
—
Christina Perrier,
InStyle,
24 June 2026
After police determined the suspect was no longer in the area, CMPD called off the search.
—
Zaire Breedlove,
Charlotte Observer,
24 June 2026
Those plans have since been called off, but the discourse still loomed large over the shoot.
—
Alex Jhamb Burns,
Vogue,
23 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for called off
Verb
-
Getting distracted by a late-stage bombshell would feel disingenuous at this point.
-
My will is scattered, directed toward many contradictory things, and easily distracted.
Verb
-
Parades, concerts and fireworks shows were canceled or delayed in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and Delaware for July 3 and 4.
-
Philadelphia canceled its Wawa Welcome America parade, Washington’s Great American State Fair temporarily closed Friday afternoon, and other celebrations have delayed public entry to reduce exposure during the hottest hours.
Verb
-
Now, that excess gets diverted into the Austerlitz basin instead, where it’s held deep underground until the weather clears, then pumped gradually to treatment plants outside the city.
-
Hotels are offering 50% discounts, schools, mosques and sports halls have been prepared to house mourners, and bus and rail networks are being diverted to serve the main events.
Verb
-
Saipov, who had rented a truck and planned to target a Manhattan parade, found the route blocked by these barriers and abandoned that plan.
-
They are being abandoned not just by Thomson but by large segments of their original audience.
Verb
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But before his performance was scrapped, Hagar gave fans a preview on social media.
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But Nixon scrapped those plans in place of federal funding for grassroots programming, Rymsza-Pawlowska said, which grew into forms of civic engagement still popular today.
Verb
-
In North Carolina, permits are immediately revoked if a restaurant scores below 70%.
-
Ask how the agent acting on your behalf is cryptographically identified as well as how quickly a compromised credential can be revoked without affecting the rest of the system.
Verb
-
The launch came after multiple weather delays, as well as a software issue that aborted a Thursday launch attempt and was fixed with an update.
-
An unpiloted test flight in December 2019 failed to reach the space station, aborted its mission, and came home early.
Verb
-
Most of those restrictions were repealed in 1985, but the weekend sale restriction for car dealerships remained in place.
-
In 1971, weary of the war in Vietnam, Congress repealed the Tonkin Gulf Resolution.
Cite this Entry
“Called off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/called%20off. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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