blackout

1 of 2

noun

black·​out ˈblak-ˌau̇t 

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

black out

2 of 2

verb

blacked out; blacking out; blacks 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

Synonyms

Noun

• daze
• trance
• faint
• syncope

Verb

• eradicate
• erase
• abolish
• destroy
• wipe out
• sweep (away)

Examples of blackout in a Sentence

Noun

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.

Verb

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The impasse risks a blackout of ABC, ESPN and other channels during the middle of football season and the primetime run of Dancing with the Stars and other marquee programming. —Dade Hayes, Deadline, 29 Oct. 2025

The blackouts haven't happened since. —Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025

Verb

In Singapore 2023, Williams driver Logan Sargeant retired from the race due to the extreme conditions, while Lance Stroll collapsed by his car after the race, near blacking out in high-speed corners. —Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025

The only events blacked out on League Pass are prime-time national spots and in-market RSN broadcasts. —Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1913, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1824, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Rhymes for blackout

• about
• bailout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout
• dugout

Kids Definition

blackout

noun

black·​out ˈblak-ˌau̇t 

1

: a period when lights are kept off to guard against enemy airplane attack in a war

2

: a period when lights are off as a result of an electrical power failure

3

: a temporary dulling or loss of vision or consciousness

black out

-ˈau̇t

verb

Medical Definition

blackout

1 of 2 noun

black·​out ˈblak-ˌau̇t 

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

an alcoholic blackout

compare grayout, redout

black out

2 of 2 intransitive verb

(ˈ)blak-ˈau̇t 

: 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