block grant
noun
: an unrestricted grant made by the U.S. federal government to state and local governments to be used at their discretion to pay especially for social services that were formerly paid for through specific federal programs
Examples of block grant in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant helps to support thousands of child care providers throughout the state, according to the governor’s office.
—
Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
Currently, schools receive about $15,000 annually per student through the state’s main funding mechanism, the Local Control Funding Formula, with an additional $7,000 coming from the federal government, block grants, lottery money, special education funds and other sources.
—Calmatters, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
While in Uganda, Karlan and his team attend several of those meetings, digging deep into why people have not been tapping the block grant to the fullest extent.
—Fatma Tanis, NPR, 13 Dec. 2025
Its recommendations include cutting FEMA’s staffing in half and implementing a new block grant system aimed at getting funds to communities more quickly, according to the news network.
—Rachel Frazin, The Hill, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for block grant
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
Currently, schools receive about $15,000 annually per student through the state’s main funding mechanism, the Local Control Funding Formula, with an additional $7,000 coming from the federal government, block grants, lottery money, special education funds and other sources.
—Calmatters, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
While in Uganda, Karlan and his team attend several of those meetings, digging deep into why people have not been tapping the block grant to the fullest extent.
—Fatma Tanis, NPR, 13 Dec. 2025
Its recommendations include cutting FEMA’s staffing in half and implementing a new block grant system aimed at getting funds to communities more quickly, according to the news network.
—Rachel Frazin, The Hill, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for block grant
Cite this Entry
“Block grant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/block%20grant. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share