to visit a place or person for a short time, usually without much planning.
I might call in on my grandmother after work to see how she's doing.
A: Are you coming straight home? B: I’ll call in at the bakery first and grab some bread.
If I have time after my classes, I usually call in on my friend who lives nearby for a quick chat.
Common mistake
✗I'll call in you tomorrow.
✓I'll call in on you tomorrow. / I'll call round tomorrow.
'Call IN ON someone' — don't drop 'on'.
Tell it apart
I'll call in on Gran on the way.
drop by briefly
I'll call Gran back later.
return her phone call
Use 'call in' when you stop by someone's home or a place for a quick visit, not for making a phone call.'Call in' is similar to 'drop by' or 'pop in', but not the same as 'call' (phone).
to ask someone, especially a professional or expert, to come and help with a problem or situation.
We had to call in a plumber when the pipe burst in the kitchen.
A: The computer still isn’t working. B: Maybe we should call in an IT specialist.
When there’s a serious issue at work, it’s common to call in an expert to handle the situation.
Common mistake
✗They called in for the police.
✓They called in the police. / They called the police in.
'Call in' takes the object directly here — no 'for'.
Tell it apart
They called in the experts.
brought them in to help
They called off the search.
stopped / cancelled it
Use 'call in' when you need someone to come and assist, often because you can't solve the problem alone.'Call in' here is about asking for help in person, not just contacting someone by phone.