call out

Meaning

To 'call out' someone means to publicly criticize, expose, or draw attention to their bad behavior, lies, or unfair actions. It is widely used in both everyday life and online 'call-out culture' to hold people accountable.

Examples

• She decided to call out her coworker for taking credit for her ideas.

  She decided to call out her coworker for taking credit for her ideas.

• It's important to call out bullying whenever you see it happening.

  It's important to call out bullying whenever you see it happening.

• The influencer was called out for promoting a fake giveaway.

  The influencer was called out for promoting a fake giveaway.

• I didn't want to call him out in front of everyone, so I spoke to him privately.

  I didn't want to call him out in front of everyone, so I spoke to him privately.

• If someone makes a sexist joke, you should call them out on it.

  If someone makes a sexist joke, you should call them out on it.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ She called out him for being late.

  ✓ She called him out for being late.

  'Call out' is a separable phrasal verb. When the object is a pronoun (him, her, them, us), it must go between 'call' and 'out'.

• ✗ I called out about his bad behavior.

  ✓ I called him out on his bad behavior.

  Do not use 'about' with this expression. You call someone out 'on' or 'for' their behavior, or simply call out the behavior directly.

Related Expressions

Practice

• If my friends lie to me, I will definitely ___ them ___.

  💡 Expose or confront someone (split the phrasal verb)

  Show answer

  call out

• She was ___ on social media for copying another artist's work.

  💡 Publicly exposed or criticized (past participle form)

  Show answer

  called out