CALLED (ON) Synonyms: 76 Similar and Opposite Words

called on

phrase

variants or called upon

past tense of call on

as in relied

to place reliance or trust She's the one I call on when I need a friend.

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Relevance

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as in asked

to make a request of She called on me for a ride to the airport.

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in begged

to make a request to (someone) in an earnest or urgent manner They called on a specialist after other avenues had failed.

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of called on The Hoodoo tradition presumes a belief in a supernatural or spirit world that can be called upon for assistance, often through charms and incantations. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026 Simpson remembers what that feeling was like; being called upon second. — Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 14 Aug. 2026 Samson Johnson came next, who proved capable whenever called upon and is now in the G League. — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026 And he might be called upon to carry a significant role as a rookie given the season-ending knee injury to Ricky Pearsall while Jauan Jennings left in free agency for the Minnesota Vikings. — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 11 Aug. 2026 During the 2025 Operation Midnight Hammer strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, an Ohio-class boat was called upon to augment B-2 bomber strikes. — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026 Mark Ruffalo called upon state attorneys general to block the merger. — Victoria Bekiempis, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2026 He was called upon three times for emergency services during the World Cup. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026 When Kimmel hesitated when guessing Spaghetti & Meatball, Affleck and Ding called upon Ding’s trivia partner Stephen Morrison, who opted not to answer. — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 30 July 2026

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“Called on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/called%20on. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of called on

phrase

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