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Definition of blanknext
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blank

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noun

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as in form
a piece of paper with information written or to be written on it handed him an employment blank to fill out

Synonyms & Similar Words

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blank

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective blank contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of blank are empty, vacant, vacuous, and void. While all these words mean "lacking contents which could or should be present," blank stresses the absence of any significant, relieving, or intelligible features on a surface.

a blank wall

When could empty be used to replace blank?

Although the words empty and blank have much in common, empty suggests a complete absence of contents.

an empty bucket

When can vacant be used instead of blank?

In some situations, the words vacant and blank are roughly equivalent. However, vacant suggests an absence of appropriate contents or occupants.

a vacant apartment

Where would vacuous be a reasonable alternative to blank?

The words vacuous and blank are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, vacuous suggests the emptiness of a vacuum and especially the lack of intelligence or significance.

a vacuous facial expression

When would void be a good substitute for blank?

The meanings of void and blank largely overlap; however, void suggests absolute emptiness as far as the mind or senses can determine.

a statement void of meaning

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of blank
Adjective
In the end, however, Monroe is shot point blank in the head by Peter’s new partner, Adam (David Lyons), who turns out to be President Hagan’s former commanding officer in the military and was installed as a Night Agent to carry out orders specifically on behalf of the corrupt POTUS. Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 25 Feb. 2026 In that sense, one component of the past 100 years of cinema is a blank space filled with unrealized possibilities. Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 24 Feb. 2026
Noun
But the blanks in D__’s name, like everything else in Poppick’s portrait of a poet as an aging millennial man, are deliberate. Literary Hub, 2 Feb. 2026 Beth Israel Lahey Health has long been the state’s second-largest hospital system, the second biggest employer, the second most fill-in-the-blank. Jessica Bartlett — Boston Globe, STAT, 25 Jan. 2026
Verb
The Sailors limited Mater Dei to a 2 for 9 effort on the power play, blanked the Monarchs in the third period and held the Trinity League team scoreless for almost 10 1/2 minutes during one stretch. Dan Albano, Oc Register, 25 Jan. 2026 Two box-office smashes that once seemed like guarantees, meanwhile, are absent from Best Picture, namely Avatar: Fire and Ash and Wicked: For Good; the sequel to last year’s Oscar-winning Wicked blanked entirely this year. David Sims, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for blank
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blank
Adjective
  • Three De’Anthony Melton free throws got the deficit back to three after another Pelicans score, but the Pelicans held on for the win after a few empty Warriors possessions.
    Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2026
  • Goodwin won the faceoff 15 seconds later and fired a bending shot the length of the ice into the empty net, giving the Irish a 3-1 edge.
    Andrew Cornelius, Twin Cities, 25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Banking has become functionally correct but emotionally devoid, with the industry swimming in a sea of sameness.
    Michael Abbott, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
  • That devoid ingredient hindered things exponentially.
    Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 15 Feb. 2024
Adjective
  • Wellness travelers, style mavens and creative types, will love the hotel’s spa-like vibe (not to mention its actual, 25,000-square-foot spa, complete with a spacious gym and indoor heated pool), contemporary design, and attention to detail.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Feb. 2026
  • Rivera’s cousin, Shyann Camacho, 26, told the Daily News that the killing came as a complete shock.
    Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 22 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • But in all of these directors’ productions the presence of nonprofessionals is both a pursuit of progress in cinematic form and an emblem of that effort.
    Richard Brody, New Yorker, 25 Feb. 2026
  • His lab discovered how specific immune system molecules can trigger dangerous inflammation and fuel conditions such as allergic asthma and atopic dermatitis, the most common form of eczema.
    Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • For them, mental emptiness leads to physical clarity.
    Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026
  • The rich 35mm frames are captured with a stillness that emphasizes the haunting emptiness around the characters.
    Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 17 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Visiting boats moor in the bay but keep to the far side, close enough to admire and distant enough to ignore.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Feb. 2026
  • And, presumably, she’s ignored that.
    R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • The left-wing Green Party’s Hannah Spencer won the contest for the vacant parliamentary seat of Gorton and Denton, with Nigel Farage’s anti-immigration Reform UK party coming second, and Labour pushed into third place.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 27 Feb. 2026
  • The Council was able to avoid layoffs, balancing its billion dollar budgets by slashing vacant positions and hiking fees for parking and other programs, in those years.
    Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • In response to claims by the prominent late Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre, who claimed in court documents that Wexner was among men Epstein trafficked her to, Wexner testified to utter devotion to his wife of 33 years, Abigail.
    JULIE CARR SMYTH THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Arkansas Online, 19 Feb. 2026
  • For those captains and their countries, anything less than outright victory is an utter failure.
    Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Blank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blank. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.

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