blackball

1 of 2

verb

black·​ball ˈblak-ˌbȯl 

blackballed; blackballing; blackballs

transitive verb

1

: to vote against

especially : to exclude from membership by casting a negative vote

2

a

: to exclude socially : ostracize

b

: boycott

blackball

2 of 2

noun

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

Verb

• down
• kill
• negative
• nix
• shoot down
• veto

Examples of blackball in a Sentence

Verb

She was blackballed by the sorority

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The Chicks were blackballed for the same thing: speaking out against the U.S. president in England. —Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 6 June 2025

Rumors persist of prospective members being blackballed for simply asking about membership. —Tim Corlett, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025

Noun

For more than 20 years, apologists for Israel have sought to shame, blackball, and fire professors who criticize Israeli policy. —David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 May 2025

Among the keys to its success, labor groups said, is the Accord’s ability to blackball factories that refuse to remediate safety violations from selling goods to signatory brands. —Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1550, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1763, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for blackball

• aldol
• armhole
• atoll
• awol
• backhaul
• banal
• baseball
• befall
• cabal
• catchall
• cecal
• centrale

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