blot out

verb

blotted out; blotting out; blots out

transitive verb

1
: to make obscure, insignificant, or inconsequential
2

Examples of blot out in a Sentence

blotted out all evidence of tampering with the explosive device bushes blotted out the shed from our view
Recent Examples on the Web Then, in the fifth grade, a new unit of measurement blotted out my previous fixations: the Numerical Rating Scale. Olivia Treynor, Vogue, 1 Nov. 2023 The sun turned blood-red or was all but blotted out, disappearing along with the city skyline; the sky turned gray, or sepia, or eerily tangerine, and ash floated down like snow. Brooke Jarvis, New York Times, 21 Oct. 2023 The moon will briefly blot out much of the sun on Saturday morning as seen from San Diego County as the region experiences a rare and beautiful partial solar eclipse. Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Oct. 2023 The former president’s various indictments, arraignments, and court appearances have given him an entirely new way to blot out the sun. Rich Lowry, National Review, 6 Oct. 2023 From an earthling’s perspective, the moon will be too small to blot out the sun entirely, leaving fiery tendrils at the edge of a deep black disk. Gregory Barber, WIRED, 13 Oct. 2023 The effects of hundreds of wildfires burning across the western provinces of Quebec could be felt as far away as New York City and New England, blotting out skylines and prompting air quality alerts by U.S. authorities. Kathy McCormack, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 June 2023 My fleets blot out the sun and bathe their world in ominous darkness, all in a lead-up to the activation of my deadly weapon. WIRED, 20 Sep. 2023 Cable networks carried the footage of the drive live from the dashboard of a vehicle, once again blotting out coverage of his political rivals. Isaac Arnsdorf, Josh Dawsey and Michael Scherer, Anchorage Daily News, 4 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'blot out.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1549, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of blot out was in 1549

Dictionary Entries Near blot out

Cite this Entry

“Blot out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blot%20out. Accessed 9 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

blot out

verb
1
: to make unimportant
2
: to make hard to see or invisible : hide
3
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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