20 Other Phrases for Calling Someone Out

‘Calling someone out’ is a phrase that implies a couple of things, with the commonest being a sort of confrontation.

Here, you’re drawing someone’s attention to a particular issue with the expectation that he or she will come up with an explanation or reason for their action.

I’ve heard this phrase used plenty of times, with some directed to me and I know better than to shy away from obliging to it.

Since the phrase is a commonly used one, knowing plausible alternatives to it makes absolute sense. So if you’re interested in getting in the know of other ways for ‘calling someone out’, you’re at the right spot.

Because this post discusses 20 other phrases for ‘calling someone out’. Read on!

20 Other Phrases for Calling Someone Out

Some of the best other phrases for calling someone out include ‘disputing someone openly’, ‘unmasking someone’, ‘reproaching someone’, and ‘holding someone accountable’.

From the aforementioned alternative phrases to calling someone out, you can deduce that these other words for calling someone out seek to question or interrogate someone, especially in the open.

Well, there are more alternatives for calling someone out and I will get right into it below.

1. Summon Someone’s Attention

‘Summon someone’s attention’ is the foremost alternative phrase for calling someone out. When you call out someone, oftentimes, you do so to draw their attention to an issue or discussion. You can also call someone out to seek their opinion concerning an issue.

To this end, ‘summoning someone’s attention’ serves as an alternative for calling someone out. Using this phrase allows you to bring a person’s mind to a pressing issue, one that you may do to the hearing of others.

2. Shouting out Someone

‘Shouting out someone’ serves as another phrase for calling someone out. This phrase doesn’t suit but then, you can use this phrase in a good way which oftentimes can be an informal way of calling someone out.

However, a ‘shout out’ on someone in contemporary terms means a conscious move to advertise or put out someone’s business or personality to the public.

3. Holding Someone Accountable

‘Holding someone accountable’ can suffice as another phrase for calling someone out. Oftentimes, when you call someone out, you’re doing so to hold them accountable. Perhaps, you want them to admit to wrongdoing and make efforts to resolve the issue.

If the above-mentioned scenery is the case, then you need to use this phrase to alternate calling someone out.

After all, you’re still making the same inference where you want the person to take responsibility and take account of their actions in a way that suits you.

4. Criticizing Someone Constructively

‘Criticizing someone constructively’ is another thoughtful phrase you can employ to be another way to call someone out.

Here, it is clear that your objective for calling the person in question out is to criticize their words, works, or actions.

READ:  20 Phrases Like "Risk It for the Biscuit"

Either way, you aim to present your thoughts about something to someone but you’re doing that well enough by drawing the person’s attention to it.

To this end, ‘criticizing someone constructively’ serves as a plausible alternative to ‘calling someone out’.

5. Refuting someone’s Action

‘Refuting someone’s action’ comes next as the other phrase you can use in place of calling someone out. To refute something or someone is to prove the fault you find in it or the person.

Hence, using this phrase as an alternative for calling someone out means you’re implying that you’re calling the person out to prove him or her wrong and set clear your thoughts about their actions, words, or even theories.

6. Confronting Someone Rightly

‘Confronting someone rightly’ is a brainy alternative for calling someone out. With this phrase, you’re calling someone out to question them tactically.

Confrontation, therefore, becomes the central message if you’re to use this phrase instead of saying ‘calling someone out’.

7. Exposing Someone Reasonably

‘Exposing someone reasonably’ can serve as your preferred alternative phrase for calling someone out. Here, you’re calling someone out to unveil, expose, or take them to the cleaners, but publicly.

8. Disputing Someone Openly

Other Phrases for Calling Someone Out

‘Disputing someone openly’ sounds great to be used as another phrase for ‘calling someone out’.

With this, you’re insinuating that to call out someone has to do with disagreeing with the person in the open. The aim is to show your indifference concerning a stand someone took over a subject matter.

9. Questioning Someone in the Open

‘Questioning someone in the open’ often serves as the literal interpretation of calling someone out. This means that you’re querying the person over their statement or action, and you’re doing so in the open.

10. Speaking Up Against Someone

‘Speaking up against someone’ serves right as one of those alternatives for calling someone out. This is so because using this phrase instead of ‘calling someone out’ implies you’re speaking up against someone.

Perhaps, the person did something provocative to you and you want to air your thoughts but with much assertiveness.

11. Raising Your Head on Someone

‘Raising your head on someone’ is the same way as going up against someone. However, it is a fine phrase to use for calling someone out because it allows you to posit that you’re countering the said person and are doing so to prove a point to him or her.

With this phrase, calling someone out implies pointing out an obvious fault in a person and making it into a strong element to surmount the person you’re directing this message to.

12. Making Your Objections to Someone Known

‘Making your objections to someone known’ may be a fairly lengthy phrase to use in place of calling someone out, but it makes for a good alternative. Here, you imply that you’re making your objections to a particular person’s actions or words known to them.

READ:  How to Say My Exams Are Over (18 Great Ways!)

In this vein, calling someone out entails making it known to the person that you’re an opposition and you’re also lining up your reasons for them to see.

13. Reproaching Someone

‘Reproaching someone’ can serve as another phrase you can use for calling someone out. Hence, to reproach someone entails criticizing the person or best, rebuking someone.

This alternative phrase works best in this case because it allows you to convey the message of constructive criticism to the person you’re directing it to.

So, when you reproach someone you’re calling them out but oftentimes in a good way. With this, you’re deeming it important to call out someone to allow them to see through your lenses and maybe, work with you on that lane.

14. Taking Someone to the Cleaners

‘Taking someone to the cleaners’ is a witty yet accurate alternative for calling someone out. With this line of statement, you’re making it known that you’re trying to request clarity from the person that you’re directing the message.

When you take clothes to the cleaners, you hope that the clothes get cleaned. Likewise, saying that you’re taking someone to the cleaners implies that you want them to take responsibility by exposing their dealings.

By doing this you’re throwing the person’s ills to their face with hope that they confront them and grant you the explanation that you need.

15. Unmasking Someone

‘Unmasking someone’ sounds about right as a plausible other way for calling out someone. Here, you’re positing that you’re unmasking or bringing to light someone and perhaps, their dealings or actions.

With that said, it is wise to say that calling someone out and unmasking a person is the same thing. Because of that, this line of statement fits in great as another good way of saying ‘calling someone out’.

Saying this gives the impression that you’re out to take the mask off the face of the person you’re directing the message to.

16. Unveiling someone’s Personal Dealings

‘Unveiling someone’s personal dealings’ sounds like a smart alternative for ‘calling someone out’. Here, you’re neither accusing someone nor seeking redress.

You’re simply exposing someone’s dealings in public. You’re sabotaging their private life by calling them out on things they’ve done or are still doing.

This way, your objective falls on the divide that seems cynical because exposing someone’s secret without their consent is a show of distrust and immaturity.

Since all you’re looking for are alternatives for calling someone out and not a lecture on morals, here you go.

17. Laying Accusations on Someone

‘Laying accusations on someone’ is another phrase for calling someone out which you can rely on to deliver a good statement instead of saying ‘calling someone out’.

This line is that meaning of calling someone out that has to do with labeling someone as something openly and hoping they come to answer for the allegations against them.

READ:  20 Phrases Similar to "Divide and Conquer"

It could be you want to use this in a sentence that doesn’t reflect your life happenings. If that’s the case, then you can go on.

My junior brother had a thing for calling me out to our parents, on charges of unequal sharing of goodies. Well, that was years back but this illustration shows that he only meant to point out ills he perceived I’ve done.

That’s the same when you want to tag someone alongside a particular ill act and you don’t want to call them out. To this end, using this alternative line makes great sense.

18. Making Someone Take Responsibility

‘Making someone take responsibility’ is another thoughtful way of ‘calling someone out’. However, with this line, you’re not just querying the person you’re directing this line to. Instead, you are both asking the person questions to make them take responsibility for what they’ve done.

Perhaps, the person offended you and is yet to take responsibility for it. If that’s the case, then this line of sentence makes absolute sense.

It has you making conscious moves to talk the person into accepting their wrongdoings and by so doing, ask for forgiveness or face retribution.

19. Checking Off Someone

‘Checking off someone’ comes into play as another phrase you can use instead of ‘calling someone out’.

With this, you’re making it known that you want to get done with a particular ill someone did to you, preferably the person you’re directing this message to as is the case.

To check off the person means settling whatever disputes you have with the person. So instead of saying ‘calling someone out’ which could involve settling an existing dispute between you two, you can go ahead and use this line.

20. Washing Someone’s Linen in the Open

‘Washing someone’s linen in the open’ is the last but not the least alternative phrase for calling someone out. It is a synonym to the phrase because it portrays and conveys the same message as the original phrase.

However, the difference here is that this particular line portrays that your aim is not only to question the person. You’re also bringing out whatever it is the person did in secret to come out in public.

Washing someone’s linen in the open suggests you’re making the person’s private dealings public knowledge. Perhaps, this is your little way of seeking for clarity or redress from the person in question.


Having discussed lengthily about 20 best other phrases for calling someone out, you must understand the place and context of each of the phrases in this post.

While some relate with the original phrase literally, others incorporate more meaning to them while also conveying the original message.

While you may not memorize all of them, I advise you to go with the most relatable ones and get on with that.

Cheers!

Leave a Comment