What is the meaning of 'call out' in this sentence? [closed]
What is the meaning of 'call out' in the following sentence?
[W]e must call out bad behavior, including that of the corrupt regime in Tehran.
from an article 'It's Official: North Korea is behind Wannacry' in WSJ. Unfortunately, the dictionary I use, The New Oxford American Dictionary, does not give the usage of 'call (something) out' as in the above way though it has a section for 'call (someone) out'. To me, 'call out' seems an idiom.
Solution 1:
The Free Dictionary provides this apt definition
- To confront one about one's misdeeds or unpleasant behavior. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is typically used between "call" and "out." If your intern keeps coming in late, you need to call her out on it.
So to publicize or draw attention to something, usually in negative sense.