call off the dogs

== English == === Pronunciation === === Verb === call off the dogs (third-person singular simple present calls off the dogs, present participle calling off the dogs, simple past and past participle called off the dogs) (idiomatic) To ease up on after inflicting great punishment. (sports, idiomatic) During a one-sided sports contest, to remove the first-string unit of a team from the game after dominating the opponent.