Top 25 Slang For Call Out – Meaning & Usage

Call out culture has become increasingly prevalent in today’s society, with individuals using social media platforms to publicly criticize or challenge others. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just dipping your toes into this online phenomenon, our team has compiled a list of the top slang terms for call out that will keep you in the loop. Get ready to navigate the digital landscape with confidence and stay ahead of the curve with our insightful guide.

Click above to generate some slangs

1. Bust

To publicly reveal someone’s true intentions or actions, often in a negative or incriminating way. “Bust” is slang for calling out someone’s wrongdoing or deceit.

For example, “The journalist busted the corrupt politician in a scandalous article.”
In a conversation about cheating in sports, someone might say, “They really busted that player for using performance-enhancing drugs.”
A friend might warn, “Be careful, she’ll bust you if she catches you lying.”

2. Out someone

To expose or make public someone’s hidden information or identity. “Out someone” is a slang term often used to describe calling out someone’s hidden truth.

For instance, “He outed his friend as gay without their permission.”
In a discussion about privacy, someone might argue, “It’s not right to out someone without their consent.”
A journalist might write, “The whistleblower outed the company’s unethical practices.”

3. Blow the whistle

To publicly reveal or report unethical or illegal activities, often within an organization. “Blow the whistle” is a slang term for calling out wrongdoing or misconduct.

For example, “The employee bravely blew the whistle on the company’s fraudulent practices.”
In a conversation about corruption, someone might say, “We need more people willing to blow the whistle on government officials.”
A news headline might read, “Whistleblower blows the whistle on corporate tax evasion.”

4. Unmask

To expose or reveal someone’s true identity or intentions, often when they have been hiding behind a disguise or false persona. “Unmask” is slang for calling out someone’s hidden identity.

For instance, “The detective finally unmasked the criminal’s true identity.”
In a discussion about online trolls, someone might say, “We need to unmask these anonymous harassers.”
A superhero movie might show the hero unmasking the villain to reveal their true face.

5. Uncover

To find or reveal hidden or secret information or actions. “Uncover” is a slang term often used to describe calling out someone’s hidden truth or exposing a secret.

For example, “The investigative journalist uncovered a major government scandal.”
In a conversation about historical mysteries, someone might say, “We need to uncover the truth about what really happened.”
A true crime podcast might discuss uncovering new evidence in a cold case.

6. Unveil

To reveal or make something known to the public, often with the intention of bringing attention to a wrongdoing or exposing the truth.

For example, a journalist might unveil a corruption scandal by publishing an investigative report.
A whistleblower might unveil evidence of illegal activities within a company.
In a social media context, someone might unveil a problematic tweet by sharing it with their followers.

7. Slam

To strongly criticize or denounce someone or something, often in a public or confrontational manner.

For instance, a politician might slam their opponent’s policies during a debate.
A film critic might slam a poorly made movie in their review.
In a social media feud, two users might slam each other with insults and accusations.

8. Denounce

To publicly express strong disapproval or condemnation of someone or something, often for their actions or beliefs.

For example, a human rights organization might denounce a government’s treatment of its citizens.
A religious leader might denounce an immoral behavior or practice.
In a political context, a party might denounce an opposing party’s policies as harmful.

9. Rebuke

To express sharp disapproval or criticism towards someone, often in response to their behavior or actions.

For instance, a teacher might rebuke a student for cheating on a test.
A parent might rebuke their child for breaking a household rule.
In a professional setting, a manager might rebuke an employee for making a mistake.

10. Accuse

To assert or claim that someone has done something wrong or committed a wrongdoing, often with the intention of holding them accountable or seeking justice.

For example, a victim might accuse their abuser of assault.
A prosecutor might accuse a defendant of committing a crime.
In a social context, someone might accuse a friend of betraying their trust.

11. Excoriate

To severely criticize or denounce someone or something in a public manner.

For example, a journalist might write, “The article excoriates the government for its handling of the crisis.”
In a heated debate, one person might say, “I can’t believe you would excoriate someone just for having a different opinion.”
A social media user might comment, “I’m going to excoriate this company for their terrible customer service.”

12. Reveal

To make something known or public that was previously hidden or secret.

For instance, a whistleblower might reveal classified information to the public.
A journalist might reveal the identity of a confidential source.
A person might reveal their true feelings to a close friend.

13. Uncloak

To expose or reveal the true identity or nature of someone or something.

For example, a detective might uncloak the identity of a criminal.
A journalist might uncloak a corrupt politician.
A hacker might uncloak an anonymous online user.

14. Condemn

To express strong disapproval or criticism towards someone or something.

For instance, a government might condemn an act of terrorism.
A religious leader might condemn immoral behavior.
A person might condemn a company for their unethical practices.

15. Name and shame

To publicly reveal and criticize someone’s actions or behavior, often with the intention of shaming or embarrassing them.

For example, a victim of harassment might name and shame their harasser on social media.
A consumer might name and shame a company for their poor customer service.
A journalist might name and shame a public figure for their dishonesty or corruption.

16. Point fingers

This phrase refers to the act of assigning blame to someone for a particular action or situation. It implies that someone is being accused or held responsible for something.

For example, in a meeting, a manager might say, “Let’s not point fingers at each other. Let’s focus on finding a solution.”
In a political debate, a candidate might accuse their opponent by saying, “They are quick to point fingers, but they have no solutions.”
A friend might say, “Don’t point fingers at me for the mess. We all contributed to it.”

17. Take to task

This phrase means to confront or criticize someone for their actions or behavior. It implies holding someone accountable or calling them out for their actions.

For instance, a teacher might take a student to task for not completing their homework by saying, “I need to take you to task for not turning in your assignment.”
In a work setting, a supervisor might take an employee to task for not meeting deadlines by saying, “I’m going to take you to task for your poor performance.”
A parent might take their child to task for breaking the rules by saying, “I need to take you to task for disobeying me.”

18. Sound the alarm

This phrase means to raise awareness or alert others about a particular issue or problem. It implies taking action to draw attention to a situation that requires immediate attention.

For example, a journalist might sound the alarm about a potential environmental disaster by saying, “We need to sound the alarm and inform the public about the dangers.”
In a community, a concerned citizen might sound the alarm about rising crime rates by saying, “We can’t ignore the problem anymore. It’s time to sound the alarm.”
A social media influencer might sound the alarm about a harmful trend by saying, “I’m going to sound the alarm and spread awareness about the dangers of this challenge.”

19. Tell it like it is

This phrase means to speak honestly and directly without sugarcoating or hiding the truth. It implies being straightforward and not holding back in expressing one’s opinions or thoughts.

For instance, a friend might tell another friend, “I’m going to tell it like it is. Your behavior is unacceptable.”
In a business meeting, a colleague might say, “Let’s skip the formalities and tell it like it is. We need to address the issues head-on.”
A talk show host might say, “I always tell it like it is. My audience appreciates my honesty and straightforwardness.”

20. Set the record straight

This phrase means to correct misinformation or misconceptions and provide accurate information or facts. It implies clarifying a situation or dispelling false beliefs.

For example, a celebrity might set the record straight about a rumor by saying, “I want to set the record straight. The rumors about me are completely false.”
In a debate, a politician might set the record straight about their policies by saying, “Let me set the record straight. Here are the facts about my stance.”
A historian might set the record straight about a historical event by saying, “There are many misconceptions about this event. Let’s set the record straight and present the accurate information.”

21. Speak out

To speak out is to openly and publicly express one’s opinion or concerns about a particular issue.

For example, “It’s important to speak out against injustice.”
A person might say, “I’m not afraid to speak out and advocate for what I believe in.”
In a discussion about social issues, someone might comment, “We need more people to speak out and demand change.”

22. Raise a red flag

To raise a red flag is to indicate a warning or potential problem that others should be aware of.

For instance, “The suspicious behavior raised a red flag for the authorities.”
A person might say, “If something seems off, don’t hesitate to raise a red flag.”
In a discussion about potential scams, someone might warn, “Be cautious of any offers that raise a red flag.”

23. Hold accountable

To hold accountable is to make someone responsible for their actions or behavior and ensure they face the consequences.

For example, “It’s important to hold public officials accountable for their actions.”
A person might say, “We need to hold ourselves accountable for our mistakes.”
In a discussion about workplace ethics, someone might comment, “Managers should hold employees accountable for meeting deadlines.”

24. Face the music

To face the music is to accept the consequences of one’s actions, often in a difficult or challenging situation.

For instance, “After being caught cheating, he had to face the music and accept the punishment.”
A person might say, “It’s time to face the music and admit what you’ve done.”
In a discussion about personal growth, someone might comment, “Facing the music is an important step towards self-improvement.”

25. Blow the lid off

To blow the lid off is to reveal or expose something that was previously hidden or kept secret.

For example, “The investigative journalist blew the lid off the corruption scandal.”
A person might say, “We need to blow the lid off these unethical practices.”
In a discussion about whistleblowers, someone might comment, “They risk their careers to blow the lid off wrongdoing.”