blank

verb

blanked; blanking; blanks

transitive verb

1

a

: obscure, obliterate

blank out a line

b

: to stop access to : seal

blank off a tunnel

2

: to keep (an opponent) from scoring

were blanked for eight innings

3

British slang : to treat (a friend or acquaintance) in a hostile or unfriendly way : to ignore or refuse to talk to (someone)

And unpopular Gardiner has found himself isolated after the show's cast and crew blanked him.

—Mark Jefferies

intransitive verb

1

: fade

—usually used with out

the music blanked out

2

: to become confused or abstracted

—often used with out

his mind blanked out momentarily

Examples of blank in a Sentence

The goalie blanked the Falcons for two periods in the hockey game.

Recent Examples on the Web

With Canady in the circle, the Red Raiders blanked Mississippi State to start the next round. —Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 3 June 2026

Josh Beckett of the Dodgers records the first no-hitter of the year by blanking the Phillies, 6-0. —Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2026

They were blanked for the sixth time this season and first since April 26 against Colorado. —CBS News, 23 May 2026

In Group B in Fribourg, Denmark blanked Slovenia 4-0 for its first win. —ABC News, 23 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

derivative of blank entry 1 or blank entry 2

First Known Use

1764, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing blank

• blank check
• blank check company
• blank line
• blank page
• blank slate
• blank stare
• blank verse
• draw a blank
• drew a blank
• go blank
• my mind was a blank
• point-blank
• went blank

Rhymes for blank

• banc
• bank
• clank
• crank
• dank
• drank
• flank
• franc
• hank
• lank
• plank
• prank

Kids Definition

blank

1 of 3 adjective

ˈblaŋk 

1

: being without writing, printing, or marks

a blank sheet of paper

2

: having empty spaces to be filled in

a blank form

3

: having no expression

a blank look

4

: lacking variety, change, or accomplishment : empty

a blank day

5

: without exceptions : absolute sense 3

blank refusal

6

: not shaped into finished form

a blank key

blankly adverb

blankness noun

blank

2 of 3 noun

1

a

: an empty space (as on a paper)

b

: a paper with spaces for the entry of information

2

: an empty place

my mind was a blank

3

: a piece of material prepared to be made into something (as a key)

4

: a cartridge loaded with gunpowder but no bullet

blank

3 of 3 verb

1

: to keep from scoring

were blanked for eight innings

2

: to become confused

blanked out for a moment