block out

verb

blocked out; blocking out; blocks out

1

: to hide or cover something so that it cannot be seen, felt, or heard

Clouds blocked out the sun.

We put on music to block out the sound of the traffic.

2

: to force oneself not to think about (something)

He tried to block the event out.

3

: to ignore (something)

blocking out distractions

see also:

block entry 2 sense 2

Examples of block out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This week's total solar eclipse captured the world's attention, and millions of skywatchers looked up (with the correct protective eyewear, hopefully) to experience the moon blocking out our star's light. — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 14 Aug. 2026

Nights can be a sullen cycle of sleep, showering and opening a window — only to close it later to block out the urban noise. — ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026

This pick from Justrvn is made of soft-touch silicone and delivers on blocking out unwanted noise. — Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 11 Aug. 2026

Wednesday’s eclipse will completely block out the sun along a narrow path in northern Russia, parts of Greenland, Iceland, Portugal and Spain, providing the opportunity for more noticeable changes in spots. — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026

Rhymes for block out

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