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to call in

to call in

193 3.0
Ask someone to come in to help, often an expert or worker
  • phrasal verb
  • /kɔl ɪn/
translation icon : recurrir a
  • As the ROTC building smoldered, Kent Mayor Satrom called in the Ohio National Guard.
  • call in the experts

And this morning, the police were called in to start arresting people.

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Examples

  • If you like, we can call in another specialist and get a second opinion and see what they have to say.

  • And this morning, the police were called in to start arresting people.

  • I'll find him, I promise, Even if I have to call in the whole Justice League.

  • School districts often call in experts from outside the school

    Academic text (2015)
  • Law enforcement authorities should be called in when violent incidents occur.

    Academic text (2000)
  • But please convey the family's thanks to all who called in to help.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • A toll-free number was established, and participants called in to the number at the specified time.

    Academic text (2005)
  • Jim Tobleson said they called in a hostage negotiator.

  • Anxious to demonstrate Ireland's loyalty and ensure Home Rule is enacted when the war ends, John Redmond calls in the Irish Volunteers to enlist also.

  • The company decided to call in a consultant to help improve their marketing strategy.

Synonyms

to call
vsto call in
  • Formal
2.0

To ask people to say if they are present

is used specifically to ask someone to come and help, often an expert
to bring in
vsto call in
692 2.9

Introduce a new person or thing into a group

is a request to ask someone to come and help, often an expert
to summon
vsto call in
  • Formal
200 5.3

Officially call someone to come, often to court

is a less official, less urgent request to get expert help
to call on
vsto call in
  • Formal
187 3.5

To ask someone to take action or give information, often in a meeting

asks someone to come and take part or help, often seeking experts

Antonyms

110 2.7

To tell people to leave a meeting or room

How Direct

to summon
  • Formal
200 5.3
to call in
193 3.0
to ask
1.0

Surface Forms

call in infinitive
called in past
called in past participle
calling in present participle
calls in third person singular

Morphology

call + in

The sense 'to pay a short visit' is directly built from 'call' (a visit/make a visit) + 'in' (toward/inside), following a common English verb+particle compositional pattern. This relation is cross-linguistically common and predictable, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent meanings will very likely infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Call in comes from the image of a boss asking someone to call in to the office or room to help, like bringing an expert in to solve a problem. That's why it means 'to ask or summon someone to come in or help'.