1. Home
2. Idioms
3. call up

call up

---

---

call someone or something up

to call someone, a group, or a company on the telephone. I will call them up and see what they have to say. Please call up the supplier.

See also: call, up

call someone up

to request that someone or a group report for active military service. (See also call someone or something out.) The government called the reserve units up for active service. They called up another battalion.

See also: call, up

call something up

to summon information from a computer. John used his laptop to call the information up. With a few strokes on the computer keyboard, Sally called up the figures she was looking for.

See also: call, up

call up somebody

also call somebody up

1. to order soldiers to begin active service The secretary of defense called up more reserves, which brings the total number of troops on active duty to 29,000.

2. to choose someone to play at a higher rank of a sport Herman was called up to the major leagues a month later.

See also: call, up

call up something

also call something up

1. to find and bring information to a computer screen Your computer may freeze when you try to call up the file.

2. to cause something to be remembered The attacks called up thoughts of how Americans reacted after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

See also: call, up

call up

1. Summon to military service, as in He was called up for active duty. [Late 1600s]

2. Cause to remember, bring to mind, as in These stories call up old times. [c. 1700] Also see call to mind.

3. Telephone someone, as in I'll call up the theater and find out about tickets. [Late 1800s]

4. Retrieve data from a computer memory, as in I asked him to call up the last quarter's sales figures. [Second half of 1900s]

See also: call, up

call up

v.

1. To shout something from a lower level to a higher one: Standing on the sidewalk, I called up to the people on the roof.

2. To summon someone from a lower level to a higher one: The speaker called members of the audience up to the stage to receive a prize. After I climbed to the top of the tower and determined that it was safe, I called up the others who had stayed behind.

3. To telephone someone or something: As soon as I heard the news, I called up my broker and told her to sell the stock. I called him up to ask if he was free for lunch.

4. To summon someone to active military service: The military has called up thousands of reserve troops for active duty. The reservists have begun training in case the military calls them up.

5. To cause someone to remember something; bring something to mind: The view of the river called up a painting I had once seen. The therapist was certain that I had repressed memories and that her therapy would call them up.

6. To bring something forth for action or discussion: At the meeting, the treasurer called up the budget proposal for review. Supporters of the legislation complained that the senator had never called it up for a vote.

7. To summon or draw on something: I called up all my courage and asked the boss for a raise.

See also: call, up