Call out means: To specify, especially in detail.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
call out
(transitive, idiomatic) To specify, especially in detail.
Seen in the wild
11 citations · last seen May 2026
Seen in the wild
BlueskyMay 2026
British media can’t even call out antisemitism without itself being wildly antisemitic. I’m so glad to have left.
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BlueskyMay 2026
"genocidal Labour Party" 😆 Oh come on. Log off and living the real world for 24 hours. Being too cowardly to call out Netanyahu doesn't make them genocidal.
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BlueskyMay 2026
I suspect we're broadly in agreement. I try to call out what I find unacceptable wherever & whenever I can & whoever is responsible for it, even if that's uncomfortable for some. Often it's uncomfortable for me. There…
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BlueskyMay 2026
Still waiting for Starmer to call out these clear cases of antisemitism from our beloved right wing press!
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BlueskyMay 2026
So no one is allowed to criticise nor call out Zack Polanski or the the numerous Green Party candidates who have indulged in antisemitism? Okie dokie
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Definitions
US
#1·Apr 26, 2026US
(transitive, idiomatic) To specify, especially in detail.
They call out 304 stainless steel in the drawing, but the part was made from aluminum.
For parents
Call out means: To specify, especially in detail.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
call out means: To specify, especially in detail.. Register: neutral, standard English. Common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; always check the context before producing it yourself. A formal-English equivalent (a synonym or descriptive phrase) is usually safer in writing. When in doubt, paraphrase rather than reuse the slang form.
Heard in the wild
“Both should be called out, ever call out Jewish attacks”
— Bluesky· May 2026“queer and trans people can still be shitty people i hope you know that. i'll call out anyone queer or straight who thinks it's okay to get turned on by their partner acting like a baby in bed you're creepy as fuck if you don't see the issue with that”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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US
#2·Apr 26, 2026US
(intransitive, transitive) To yell out; to vocalize audibly; announce.
Heard in the wild
“British media can’t even call out antisemitism without itself being wildly antisemitic. I’m so glad to have left.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“"genocidal Labour Party" 😆 Oh come on. Log off and living the real world for 24 hours. Being too cowardly to call out Netanyahu doesn't make them genocidal.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“I suspect we're broadly in agreement. I try to call out what I find unacceptable wherever & whenever I can & whoever is responsible for it, even if that's uncomfortable for some. Often it's uncomfortable for me. There is, as is often observed, no hierarchy in racism.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Still waiting for Starmer to call out these clear cases of antisemitism from our beloved right wing press!”
— Bluesky· May 2026“So no one is allowed to criticise nor call out Zack Polanski or the the numerous Green Party candidates who have indulged in antisemitism? Okie dokie”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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US
#3·Apr 26, 2026US
(transitive, idiomatic) To order into service; to summon into service.
The Governor called out the National Guard.
Heard in the wild
“Vox and New York Magazine are some of the last remaining mainstream media outlets not afraid to call out Trump. This is getting so out of hand.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Ian, I’ve been looking to you to say something for a long time. You regularly used to call out antisemitism in articles, on podcasts and on TV. I’m so disappointed.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“It's very important to call out the real horrors in this world, like 60s cod-vaudeville”
— Bluesky· May 2026“I should be allowed to call out if it feels like something is happening to my vagina”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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Other words near "call out" (C)
Calliopecall it as one sees itcallithumpiancall liquorcall on the carpetcalloocalloutcall out of one's namecallovercall someone everything but a child of Godcall the ballcall the fire brigade
Browse all slang words starting with C.