boycott

verb

boy·cott | \ ˈbȯi-ˌkät

boycotted; boycotting; boycotts

Definition of boycott

: to engage in a concerted refusal to have dealings with (a person, a store, an organization, etc.) usually to express disapproval or to force acceptance of certain conditions boycotting American products

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Did you know?

In the 1870s, Irish farmers faced an agricultural crisis that threatened to result in a repeat of the terrible famine and mass evictions of the 1840s. Anticipating financial ruin, they formed a Land League to campaign against the rent increases and evictions landlords were imposing as a result of the crisis. Retired British army captain Charles Boycott had the misfortune to be acting as an agent for an absentee landlord at the time, and when he tried to evict tenant farmers for refusing to pay their rent, he was ostracized by the League and community. His laborers and servants quit, and his crops began to rot. Boycott's fate was soon well known, and his name became a byword for that particular protest strategy.

Examples of boycott in a Sentence

plans to boycott American products They boycotted the city's bus system. We boycotted companies that were polluting the environment.

Recent Examples on the Web That followed a decision by a Myanmar swimmer based in Australia to boycott the Olympics and call on the organizers to bar the Myanmar Olympic Committee. — New York Times, 3 July 2021 The letter comes as Cotton and other prominent conservatives have stated their opposition to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games, with Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., introducing a resolution in February urging America to boycott the games entirely. — Houston Keene, Fox News, 15 June 2021 China wants multinational corporations to resist calls by human-rights groups to boycott next February’s Winter Olympic Games in Beijing. — James T. Areddy, WSJ, 14 June 2021 Neither are there calls to boycott New York, which had no early voting at all until last fall, when new rules created nine days of in-person early voting. — Ilya Shapiro, Washington Examiner, 22 Apr. 2021 Republican politicians and right-wing commentators took aim at the company and issued calls to boycott its products. — Author: Marianna Sotomayor, Todd Frankel, Anchorage Daily News, 6 Apr. 2021 The airline, which employs more than 30,000 people in the state, followed up days later with more lacerating language, after calls to boycott the company began spreading on social media. — Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2021 No country has announced plans to boycott the tournament, although Norway, which features Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland, is facing calls to do so from some top division clubs, including Rosenborg and Tromso. — Rob Harris, Star Tribune, 23 Mar. 2021 Players threatened to boycott league games and several sponsors suspended their relationship with the Clippers. — Larry Starks, USA Today, 20 June 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'boycott.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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boycott

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Last Updated

22 Jul 2021

Cite this Entry

“Boycott.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boycott. Accessed 23 Jul. 2021.

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More Definitions for boycott

boycott

verb

English Language Learners Definition of boycott

: to refuse to buy, use, or participate in (something) as a way of protesting : to stop using the goods or services of (a company, country, etc.) until changes are made

See the full definition for boycott in the English Language Learners Dictionary

boycott

verb

boy·cott | \ ˈbȯi-ˌkät

boycotted; boycotting

Kids Definition of boycott

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to join with others in refusing to deal with someone (as a person, organization, or country) as a way of protesting or forcing changes

boycott

noun

Kids Definition of boycott (Entry 2 of 2)

: the process or an instance of joining with others in refusing to deal with someone (as a person, organization, or country) as a way of protesting or forcing changes

boycott

transitive verb

boy·cott | \ ˈbȯi-ˌkät

Legal Definition of boycott

: to engage in a concerted refusal to have dealings with (as a store, business, or organization) usually to express disapproval or to force acceptance of certain conditions — see also primary boycott, secondary boycott

Note: A boycott of a business by its competitors, suppliers, or buyers that has the effect of preventing the business's access to the market is a violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act.