draw a blank

phrase

: to fail to gain a desired object (such as information sought)

also : to be unable to think of something

Examples of draw a blank in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Frenchman scored four goals in his first three La Liga games of the season, but drew a blank — including missing a stoppage-time penalty — in the weekend’s 1-0 defeat at Real Betis. — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Searches have focused on binary systems where a star orbits a compact object, but until now astronomers had drawn a blank. — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 14 July 2026

Struggling to compile all five core pursuits is a valuable part of the process, but for those drawing a blank, a simple way to start is to look back over the previous twelve months and list the activities that brought them genuine energy. — Wes Moss, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1642, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for draw a blank

• antitank
• interbank
• riverbank
• banc
• bank
• clank
• crank
• dank
• drank
• flank
• franc
• hank