Call Up – Meaning and Examples

Do you need to phone a friend? You can call them up. This common idiom is mostly used for making a telephone call. But it can also mean to bring something to your mind, or to order someone for military duty. Learning call up will help you talk about communication and memories.

What Does “Call Up” Mean?

“Call up” has three main meanings. It most often means to telephone someone. It can also mean to remember something or bring a memory to mind. Finally, it can mean to officially order someone to join military service.

Think of it like this: You call up your mom to say hello. A song can call up memories of your childhood. A government can call up soldiers during a war.

Remember, the most common meaning is about using the phone. The other meanings are used in specific situations.

When to Use It

You can use this idiom in different contexts.

• Phone Calls: “I’ll call you up tomorrow to discuss the plans.”
• Memories: “That smell calls up memories of my grandmother’s kitchen.”
• Military: “He was called up for active duty last year.”

The tone is usually informal for phone calls and memories, and formal for military use.

Example Sentences

• Why don’t you call her up and ask her yourself?
• I tried to call up the hotel to make a reservation.
• Seeing the old photos called up strong emotions.
• During the crisis, many reserves were called up.

Mini Dialogue

Liam: “I can’t remember the name of that restaurant we loved.”

Sophia: “Me neither. Let’s call up Mark. He’ll remember.”

Liam: “Good idea. Talking to him might call up the memory for me, too.”

Common Mistakes to Avoid

The main mistake is using “call up” in situations where a simpler word is better. Often, you can just use “call” for phoning someone.

❌ Don’t say: “I will call up to you from downstairs.” (This is incorrect; you would say “I will call out to you”).

✅ Do say: “I will call you up tonight,” or simply, “I will call you tonight.”

Final Note

This is a great phrase for talking about staying in touch with people. Start by using it for phone calls. As you hear more English, you will easily learn the other meanings. Happy talking!