black·ball
ˈblak-ˌbȯl 
blackballed; blackballing; blackballs
1
: to vote against
especially
: to exclude from membership by casting a negative vote
1
: a small black ball for use as a negative vote in a ballot box
2
: an adverse vote especially against admitting someone to membership in an organization
Synonyms
Examples of blackball in a Sentence
Verb
She was blackballed by the sorority
Recent Examples on the Web
Brad Townsend, Dallas News, 7 June 2023
Ian Hancock: If you were blackballed, nobody would visit you.
—The Foretold Team, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2023
And in many cases, blackballing can last a long time.
—The Foretold Team, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2023
The staffers spoke on the condition of anonymity because of concerns about retaliation or blackballing in the small world of American museums.
—Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 20 Apr. 2023
To them, Mo’Nique’s behavior was the exact reason she’d been blackballed following her 2010 Best Supporting Actress Oscar win for Precious.
—Ineye Komonibo, refinery29.com, 4 Apr. 2023
In the curious state of mind that anti-vax doctors are known for, the cold-fusion crew dug in, and its members now grouse about having been blackballed from elite journals and reputable conferences.
—Virginia Heffernan, WIRED, 1 Mar. 2023
His claim says the team marginalized and blackballed him, stalling a career that had been on track to land him a job as a general manager.
—Greg Moore, The Arizona Republic, 4 Apr. 2023
Toward that end, Joe Biden has just blackballed six Chinese companies suspected of contributing to it.
—Steven Levy, WIRED, 17 Feb. 2023
Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 4 May 2023
Photos of Jay-Z hamming it up with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who many see as the face of Kaepernick’s blackball, were off-putting, to put it politely.
—Jonathan Jones, SI.com, 21 Aug. 2019
Supporters of the proposed law say letting landlords blackball people who qualify for federal vouchers is partly responsible for San Diego’s stark racial segregation, with minorities dominating southern areas and whites dominant in northern areas.
—David Garrick, sandiegouniontribune.com, 2 July 2018
Pay college players, blackball Colin Kaepernick, baseball is too slow.
—Paul Daugherty, Cincinnati.com, 24 Apr. 2018
Even with Kaepernick grayballed (blackball-lite?), the trickle of protesters became a torrent, thanks to the president.
—Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Mar. 2018
There is a reason why fashionable members clubs admit freelance graphic designers who live hand to mouth and blackball superstar bankers.
—Janan Ganesh, Town & Country, 8 Dec. 2017
But the idea that this situation is anything but a blackball is ridiculous.
—Paul Daugherty, Cincinnati.com, 5 Oct. 2017
When there are too many swimmers for safe surfing, the blackball flag serves as a warning.
—Julia Herbst, Los Angeles Magazine, 13 July 2017
See More
Verb
Would Raytheon still want to be associated with a tour that, if the Golfweek report is accurate, essentially blackballed Raytheon?
—Brad Townsend, Dallas News, 7 June 2023
Ian Hancock: If you were blackballed, nobody would visit you.
—The Foretold Team, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2023
And in many cases, blackballing can last a long time.
—The Foretold Team, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2023
The staffers spoke on the condition of anonymity because of concerns about retaliation or blackballing in the small world of American museums.
—Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 20 Apr. 2023
To them, Mo’Nique’s behavior was the exact reason she’d been blackballed following her 2010 Best Supporting Actress Oscar win for Precious.
—Ineye Komonibo, refinery29.com, 4 Apr. 2023
In the curious state of mind that anti-vax doctors are known for, the cold-fusion crew dug in, and its members now grouse about having been blackballed from elite journals and reputable conferences.
—Virginia Heffernan, WIRED, 1 Mar. 2023
His claim says the team marginalized and blackballed him, stalling a career that had been on track to land him a job as a general manager.
—Greg Moore, The Arizona Republic, 4 Apr. 2023
Toward that end, Joe Biden has just blackballed six Chinese companies suspected of contributing to it.
—Steven Levy, WIRED, 17 Feb. 2023
Noun
Maybe there’s an alternate universe where musicians are currently banding together against AI, opting to blackball anyone complicit in its rapid ascension from a viral sideshow into a thorn in the industry’s side.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 4 May 2023
Photos of Jay-Z hamming it up with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who many see as the face of Kaepernick’s blackball, were off-putting, to put it politely.
—Jonathan Jones, SI.com, 21 Aug. 2019
Supporters of the proposed law say letting landlords blackball people who qualify for federal vouchers is partly responsible for San Diego’s stark racial segregation, with minorities dominating southern areas and whites dominant in northern areas.
—David Garrick, sandiegouniontribune.com, 2 July 2018
Pay college players, blackball Colin Kaepernick, baseball is too slow.
—Paul Daugherty, Cincinnati.com, 24 Apr. 2018
Even with Kaepernick grayballed (blackball-lite?), the trickle of protesters became a torrent, thanks to the president.
—Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Mar. 2018
There is a reason why fashionable members clubs admit freelance graphic designers who live hand to mouth and blackball superstar bankers.
—Janan Ganesh, Town & Country, 8 Dec. 2017
But the idea that this situation is anything but a blackball is ridiculous.
—Paul Daugherty, Cincinnati.com, 5 Oct. 2017
When there are too many swimmers for safe surfing, the blackball flag serves as a warning.
—Julia Herbst, Los Angeles Magazine, 13 July 2017
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'blackball.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Dictionary Entries Near blackball
Cite this Entry
“Blackball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blackball. Accessed 25 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
blackball
1 of 2 noun
black·ball
ˈblak-ˌbȯl
1
: a small black ball used to vote against a person
2
: a vote against a person
blackball
2 of 2 verb
: to vote against
especially
: to keep (a person) from joining something by voting against
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