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Busand Posted 13 years ago
Grammar

Call Off

According to dictionaries, "call off" means to tell a dog or person chasing and/or attacking another to stop doing such act. But on google, sentences of the following type, in the context off policing searching for a missing person, could be found:

"They called off the searchers."
"They called off the rescuers."

Could it be an error?
  

Top answer

busand According to dictionaries, "call off" means to tell a dog or person chasing and/or attacking another to stop doing such act. com/dictionary/english/call-off 1. to cancel or abandon -> The game was called off because of rain 2.

— Henry74

  • busand According to dictionaries, "call off" means to tell a dog or person chasing and/or attacking another to stop doing such act.
  • com/dictionary/english/call-off 1.
  • to cancel or abandon -> The game was called off because of rain 2.
  • to order (an animal or person) to desist or summon away -> The man called off his dogs 3.
  • com/dictionary/call%20off 1.
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3 Answers
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busandAccording to dictionaries, "call off" means to tell a dog or person chasing and/or attacking another to stop doing such act.
Collins Dictionary: call off
http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/call-off

1. to cancel or
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So, these:

"They called off the searchers."
"They called off the rescuers."

are poorly written?
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No, they're not.

2. to order (an animal or person) to desist or summon away.

A person or persons can be called off.

- Call off your goons! I'm going to pay.

H.
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