call up

Short definition: The phrase call up means to phone someone, or to officially summon a person for service or duty, often used in both casual and formal situations.

Looking for a clear and natural explanation of the phrasal verb call up? This is a common expression in English and it can be used in both everyday and formal contexts. It may refer to making a phone call, bringing something to mind, or officially summoning someone for duty. Because it appears in casual conversations and official language, the exact meaning depends on context. Below are detailed meanings with realistic examples so you can clearly understand how call up works in daily English.

call up v. /ˌkɔːl ˈʌp/

Forms: call up, calls up, called up, calling up
Related: call v., summon v., recall v., contact v.
Syllable: call-up

(Verb) To telephone someone.
To call up most commonly means to telephone someone, especially in informal conversation when referring to making direct contact by phone.

I’ll call you up later to confirm the details.

She called up her friend to share the good news.

He decided to call up customer service for help.

Synonyms: phone, ring, dial, contact by phone, give a call, reach by phone, get on the phone with, place a call to, speak by phone, connect by phone, telephone directly, make a call
Antonyms: hang up, ignore call, refuse to answer, block number, decline call, avoid contact, disconnect, cut off communication, silence phone, leave unanswered, reject call, stop calling
(Verb) To bring a memory, image, or feeling to mind.
Call up can also mean causing a memory, image, or emotion to return to your mind, often suddenly or intentionally.

That song always calls up memories of summer vacations.

The photo called up feelings she hadn’t thought about in years.

He tried to call up the details of the conversation.

Synonyms: recall, bring to mind, evoke, summon memory, retrieve mentally, remember, recollect, conjure up, revive memory, picture again, think back to, draw from memory
Antonyms: forget, erase memory, suppress thought, block out, overlook memory, dismiss recollection, ignore past, blank out, lose memory, neglect detail, discard thought, fade from mind
(Verb) To officially summon someone for service or duty.
In formal or legal contexts, call up can mean officially summoning someone, especially for military service or a formal obligation.

He was called up for military service last year.

The government may call up reservists if needed.

She was unexpectedly called up to serve on the committee.

Synonyms: summon, draft, mobilize, enlist, recruit, request service, order to duty, appoint formally, designate, assign officially, activate, conscript
Antonyms: release from duty, discharge, dismiss, exempt, excuse, stand down, demobilize, remove from service, withdraw order, cancel summons, relieve, pardon from duty

Conversation Using the Phrasal Verb Call up

Discussing military service and technology, Julian and Elena talk about being summoned. This dialogue highlights call up, which means to phone someone, to summon someone for military service, or to find information on a computer.

Julian: I decided to call up my old high school friend to see if he wanted to meet for a quick lunch while he’s in town.

Elena: That’s a great idea; I often call up my sister just to chat and catch up on the latest news from our hometown.

Julian: I read that during the war, the government had to call up thousands of young men to serve in the national army overseas.

Elena: I noticed that the librarian can call up any book's location on her computer screen in just a matter of seconds today.

Julian: If the coach decides to call up a player from the junior league, it could be the big break that the young athlete has been waiting for.

Elena: I saw a technician call up the diagnostic report for the faulty engine to see exactly where the mechanical failure occurred.

Julian: In a crisis, the local authorities might call up the reserve units to help with the emergency relief efforts in the flooded areas.

Elena: I agree; being able to call up digital records instantly has made the process of managing a large company much more efficient.

Julian: I’m going to call up the customer service department; I have a question about the warranty on my new laptop computer.

Elena: Good luck; once you call up the right person, I’m sure they’ll be able to help you resolve the problem very quickly.

Phrases Containing the Phrasal Verb Call Up

The phrases below show how the phrasal verb call up is used to talk about phoning someone, summoning people, or bringing memories to mind.

Call up a friend

To phone someone.

I decided to call up a friend I hadn’t spoken to in years just to reconnect and catch up on life.

Call up memories

To make someone remember the past.

The old photograph called up memories of childhood summers spent by the sea.

Call up support

To request assistance.

The manager had to call up support from another department to finish the urgent project on time.

Call up a customer

To contact a client by phone.

The assistant was asked to call up a customer to confirm the delivery schedule.

Call up reserves

To summon backup personnel.

The army decided to call up reserves when tensions began to rise along the border.

Call up courage

To gather bravery.

She had to call up courage before speaking in front of such a large and critical audience.

Call up information

To retrieve data.

With a few clicks, he was able to call up information stored in the company database.

Call up the office

To phone the workplace.

I had to call up the office early in the morning to report that I would be late.

Call up an image

To make a mental picture appear.

The description in the novel called up an image of a quiet village surrounded by mountains.

Call up a number

To dial a phone number.

He quickly called up the emergency number when he realized the situation was serious.

Call up volunteers

To summon helpers.

The organization called up volunteers to assist with disaster relief efforts.

Call up details

To retrieve specific information.

The system allows users to call up details about previous transactions easily.

Call up a memory

To remember something.

The familiar song called up a memory of a special moment from years ago.

Call up the past

To bring earlier events to mind.

The old letters called up the past in ways she hadn’t expected.

Call up reinforcements

To request additional help.

The team leader called up reinforcements when the workload doubled unexpectedly.

Call up quickly

To phone without delay.

If you need clarification, just call up quickly before the deadline passes.

Call up unexpectedly

To phone without prior notice.

He called up unexpectedly late at night to share the exciting news.

Call up for clarification

To phone for explanation.

She decided to call up for clarification instead of making assumptions.

Call up a colleague

To contact a coworker by phone.

I’ll call up a colleague who handled this issue before to get guidance.

Call up the manager

To phone someone in charge.

When the complaint escalated, they decided to call up the manager immediately.

Words Rhyme with call up

fall up

ball up

hall up

tall up

wall up

small up

stall up

crawl up

drawl up

all up

cup

pup

sup

yup

hiccup

pickup

makeup

shakeup

breakup

wakeup

checkup

stickup

mockup

lockup

linkup

setup

letup

getup

windup

POS: Verb Phrase