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What is Call off in English? Detailed usage of Call off in English!

Call off is one of the commonly used phrasal verbs in English. However, many people still have a vague understanding of the meaning, usage, and synonyms of Call off in English. In this article, let's explore all the knowledge about Call off in English with PREP!

I. What is Call off in English?

Let's find out the meaning of Call off in English and its common usage in sentences with PREP below!

1. Definition & usage

What is Call off in English? In English, Call off is pronounced as /kɑːl ɒf/ and functions as a phrasal verb. Let's quickly explore two common usages of Call off in English here with PREP!

Usage	Definition	Example
Call someone/ something off	to order a dog, or sometimes a person, to stop attacking someone or something	I shouted to Alex to call his dog off, but he just laughed at me.
Call off something	to decide that a planned event, especially a sports event, will not happen, or to end an activity because it is no longer useful or possible	The companies called off their merger plans Late Friday cites “adverse market conditions”.

2. Synonyms of Call off in English

Instead of using Call off in English repeatedly, you can flexibly replace it with synonymous words to avoid repetition and monotony. Let's pocket the list of synonyms for Call off in English below with PREP!

Synonyms of Call off in English	Meaning	Example
Cancel /ˈkæn.səl/	to decide that an organized event will not happen, or to stop an order for goods or services that you no longer want	The event was canceled due to the bad weather.
Scrap /skræp/	to not continue with a system or plan	The company had to scrap the new product launch.
Abandon /əˈbæn.dən/	to stop doing an activity before you have finished it	They had to abandon their attempt to climb the mountain.
Curtail /kɚˈteɪl/	to stop something before it is finished, or to reduce or limit something	Due to budget constraints, they had to curtail several planned activities.
Suspend /səˈspend/	to stop something from being active, either temporarily or permanently	The construction work was temporarily suspended due to safety concerns.

II. Differentiating between Call off and Put off

Both Call off and Put off mean "to cancel or postpone an event or plan". However, upon closer examination, we will find that the usage of these two phrasal verbs is entirely different. So, to avoid confusion, let's differentiate Call off and Put off in the table below with PREP!

	Call off	Put off
Meaning	to decide that a planned event, especially a sports event, will not happen, or to end an activity because it is no longer useful or possible	to decide or arrange to delay an event or activity until a later time or date
Example	Sunday's match had to be called off because the footballer was hurt.	Sunday's match has been put off until the weather becomes better.

III. Exercises on using Call off in English

To better understand the meaning of Call off in English and accurately differentiate it from Put off, let's complete the exercise below with PREP!

Exercise: Choose the correct answer

The decision to _______ the new policy was met with mixed reactions.
1. Call off
2. Put off
Due to unexpected circumstances, they had to _______ the product launch on Tuesday next week.
1. Call off
2. Put off
The football match was _______ due to heavy rain.
1. Called off
2. Put off
The protest march was _______ to avoid potential clashes with the authorities.
1. Called off
2. Put off
The school _______ classes for the day because of a sudden power outage.
1. Called off
2. Put off
They decided to _______ the business meeting until next month.
1. Called off
2. Put off
The project was _______ indefinitely due to funding issues.
1. Called off
2. Put off
Anna had to _______ her vacation plans because of work commitments.
1. Called off
2. Put off
The concert was _______ because the lead dancer was ill.
1. Called off
2. Put off
The party had to be _______ at the last minute due to a family emergency.
1. Called off
2. Put off

Answer:

PREP hopes that through this article, you have gained an understanding of what Call off is, pocketed a list of synonyms for Call off in English, and learned how to differentiate it from Put off. PREP is excited to share even more insightful language tips with you in the future. Let’s follow PREP for more useful English knowledge!

Master Tu Pham

Founder/CEO at Prep

Founder of Prep Smart Test Preparation Platform. With over 10 years of experience in teaching and test preparation, Mr. Tú has helped thousands of students achieve high scores in the IELTS exam. In addition, Mr. Tú Phạm is also a consulting expert in British Council programs and a speaker at many leading educational events, programs, and conferences.