blackout

play

noun black·out \ ˈblak-ˌau̇t \

Definition of blackout

1 a :a turning off of the stage lighting to separate scenes in a play or end a play or skit; also :a skit that ends with a blackout

b :a period of darkness enforced as a precaution against air raids

c :a period of darkness (as in a city) caused by a failure of electrical power

2 :a transient dulling or loss of vision, consciousness, or memory

an alcoholic blackout

3 a :a wiping out :obliteration

b :a blotting out by censorship :suppression

a news blackout

4 :a usually temporary loss of a radio signal

5 :the prohibition or restriction of the telecasting of a sports event

6 :a time during which a special commercial offer (as of tickets) is not valid —usually used attributively

blackout dates

See blackout defined for English-language learners

See blackout defined for kids

Examples of blackout in a Sentence

the blackouts of World War II
She keeps flashlights and candles handy in case of a blackout.
He told his doctor he had been experiencing blackouts.

Recent Examples of blackout from the Web

The FCC imposed power backup requirements after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 knocked out more than 1,000 cell sites -- roughly triple the number of power failures seen with Harvey -- due partly to power blackouts.

— todd shields, Bloomberg.com, "Harvey Knockout of Cell Service Revives Talk of Backup Power," 30 Aug. 2017
That also helps with denoting scene changes, as Smart’s lighting instructions (designed here by Aaron Johansen) indicate that there are no blackouts because of the 24-hour sun.

— mark lowry, star-telegram, "Stage West’s ‘Antarctica’ goes to end of the earth for self-discoveries," 28 Aug. 2017
After teasing us with a mysterious social media blackout and then three days of creepy snake videos, the pop star finally unleashed her ultimate move: the announcement of a new single AND a new album.

— de elizabeth, Teen Vogue, "Taylor Swift Announces New Album "Reputation"," 23 Aug. 2017
There are slow spots in the 2-hour, 20-minute script, particularly the second act where repeated short scenes, blackout lighting and curtain draws put a drag on the action.

— pam kragen, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Laughs, blood flow in La Jolla Playhouse's pitch-dark 'Kill Local'," 7 Aug. 2017
Todd’s husband, David Peck, was an astronomy professor at Amherst College, and the couple traveled the world to experience the daytime blackouts.

— jackie mansky, Smithsonian, "A Brief History of Eclipse Chasers," 4 Aug. 2017
Al Jazeera duly suspended its Egyptian arm, and after a temporary blackout, blamed on technical difficulties, briefly broadcast from London.

— The Economist, "To escape repression, critics are leaving the Gulf," 20 July 2017
But the ever-honest and unvarnished Moore also has found himself on press blackouts at various times in his career for being too forthcoming.

— tod palmer, kansascity, "Mizzou’s J’Mon Moore eager to build off 2016, join program’s elite ranks," 12 July 2017
SHOP NOW: $138, toddsnyder.com Inspired by a 1970s-style watch from the Timex archives, and updated with a modern blackout palette, this new timepiece evokes the noir-ish glamour of vintage Formula One racing and midcentury Monaco Casinos.

— scott christian, Esquire, "Todd Snyder and Timex Are Back With Another Awesome (and Affordable!) Watch," 10 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'blackout.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of blackout

1913

blackout Synonyms

Synonyms

faint, insensibility, knockout, swim, swoon, syncope

Related Words

daze, stupor, trance; drowsiness, narcosis, sleep, somnolence

black out

verb

Definition of black out

transitive verb

1 a :blot out, erase

blacked out the event from his mind

b :to suppress by censorship

black out the news

2 :to envelop in darkness

black out the stage

3 :to make inoperative (as by a power failure)

4 :to impose a blackout on

blacked out the local game

intransitive verb

1 :to become enveloped in darkness

2 :to undergo a temporary loss of vision, consciousness, or memory

Examples of black out in a Sentence

had spent most of her adulthood trying to black out memories of a wretched childhood
with the delivery of the knockout punch, the screen blacks out, and in the next scene the boxer wakes up in the hospital

First Known Use of black out

1824

black out Synonyms

Synonyms

abolish, annihilate, blot out, cancel, clean (up), efface, eradicate, erase, expunge, exterminate, extirpate, liquidate, obliterate, root (out), rub out, snuff (out), stamp (out), sweep (away), wipe out

Antonyms

brighten, light, lighten

Related Words

decimate, demolish, destroy, devastate, ravage; dismantle, flatten, mow (down), raze, tear down; ruin, total, waste, wreck; blast, blow up, dash, dynamite, smash; atomize, consume, devour, dissolve, fragment, powder, pulverize, shatter, splinter; doom, finish, kill, kill off, terminate, zap; cancel, cut, discard, ditch, eject, excise, expel, jettison, oust, throw out

Near Antonyms

conserve, preserve, protect, save; build, construct, create, fabricate, fashion, forge, form, frame, make, manufacture, shape; fix, mend, patch, rebuild, recondition, reconstruct, renew, renovate, repair, restore, revamp

BLACKOUT Defined for English Language Learners

blackout

play

noun

Definition of blackout for English Language Learners

: a period when lights are kept off or are hidden from view to guard against enemy airplane attack in a war
: a period when lights are off because of an electrical power failure
: a sudden and temporary loss of consciousness, vision, or memory

BLACKOUT Defined for Kids

blackout

play

noun black·out \ ˈblak-ˌau̇t \

Definition of blackout for Students

1 :a period of darkness enforced as a protection against enemy attack by airplanes during a war

2 :a period of darkness caused by power failure

3 :a temporary loss of vision or consciousness

Medical Dictionary

blackout

play

noun black·out \ ˈblak-ˌau̇t \

medical Definition of blackout

:a transient dulling or loss of vision, consciousness, or memory

an alcoholic blackout

— compare grayout, redout

black out

play

intransitive verb \ (ˈ)blak-ˈau̇t \

medical Definition of black out

:to undergo a temporary loss of vision, consciousness, or memory (as from temporary impairment of cerebral circulation, retinal anoxia, a traumatic emotional blow, or an alcoholic binge) — compare gray out, red out

transitive verb

:to cause to black out