blue-pencil

verb

blue-pen·​cil ˈblü-ˈpen(t)-səl 

blue-penciled; blue-penciling; blue-pencils

transitive verb

: to edit especially by shortening or deletion

blue penciller noun

Synonyms of blue-pencil

• delete
• cancel

Examples of blue-pencil in a Sentence

military censors blue-penciled any remarks that could possibly be deemed critical

Recent Examples on the Web

Before getting sunk by a turgid love story — the kind of cinematic dead zone Thalberg would have blue-penciled in the screenplay stage — The Last Tycoon provides a good sense of what a producer actually does. —Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 20 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for blue-pencil

• commensal
• prehensile
• utensil
• intercensal
• pencil
• stencil
• tensile