call out
Say something loudly, OR tell everyone that someone did something wrong, OR ask someone to come and help.
Meanings
To say something loudly so that others can hear; to shout.
"She called out his name across the busy station but he didn't hear her."
To publicly accuse, confront, or criticise someone for bad behaviour, hypocrisy, or wrongdoing.
"Several journalists called out the minister for contradicting his earlier statements."
To summon or deploy someone, especially emergency workers or military personnel, to a scene.
"The army was called out to assist with flood relief operations."
To officially order workers to go on strike.
"Union leaders called out their members after negotiations broke down."
The 'challenge' or 'confront' sense has become very common in social media contexts (e.g. 'calling out' celebrities for bad behaviour). The 'summon' sense is common in emergency services contexts (calling out the fire brigade). Highly versatile.
Commonly used with
Forms
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Synonyms
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