call it off

7 synonyms and 2 antonyms for call it off, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Verb — To cancel something that had been arranged or was already under way.

Synonyms

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

cancel abandon scrap scrub

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

abort break it off split up

Synonyms by Meaning

1. verb

To cancel something that had been arranged or was already under way.

“The weather closed in, so they called it off at half time.”

cancel abandon scrap abort scrub

Opposites

go ahead proceed

2. verb

To end a relationship or engagement.

“They called it off six weeks before the wedding.”

break it off split up

How to use call it off

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

call off the wedding call off the search call off the strike call off the deal call the whole thing off

Informal but widely used, including in news reporting. 'It' can be replaced by a specific object: call off the search, call off the strike, call off the deal.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between 'call it off' and 'put it off'?

'Call it off' cancels the thing altogether, with no new date. 'Put it off' postpones it, with the intention of doing it later. A cancelled wedding is called off; a delayed meeting is put off.

What does 'call off the dogs' mean?

Literally it means ordering hunting or guard dogs to stop the chase. Figuratively it means telling people to stop pursuing, pressuring or attacking someone — often used of lawyers, journalists or investigators.

People also searched

proceed cancel abandon scrap scrub abort

Nearby words

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