call off the dogs en · VERB
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Meanings
- (idiomatic) To ease up on after inflicting great punishment.
-
(idiomatic) During a one-sided sports contest, to remove the first-string unit of a team from the game after dominating the opponent.
Doing the opponents an obvious favor, the football coach decided to call off the dogs early after his team was up 56-0.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| calls off the dogs | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| calling off the dogs | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| called off the dogs | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| called off the dogs | Tense=Past | lexicographic |