# call off the dogs

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/call-off-the-dogs
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To ease up on after inflicting great punishment.

## Examples

- Please call off the dogs and stop criticizing me.
- The manager realized the employee had learned his lesson and decided to call off the dogs.
- After the intense public investigation had effectively ruined the company's reputation, the regulators finally called off the dogs to allow for a period of restructuring.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.