blackball 1 of 2

as in to dismiss
to reject by or as if by a vote he was disappointed to learn that he had been blackballed by the fraternity

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

blackball

2 of 2

noun

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 blackball
Verb
Among the keys to its success, labor groups said, is the Accord’s ability to blackball factories that refuse to remediate safety violations from selling goods to signatory brands. Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019 Photos of Jay-Z hamming it up with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who many see as the face of Kaepernick’s blackball, were off-putting, to put it politely. Jonathan Jones, SI.com, 21 Aug. 2019
Noun
Rumors persist of prospective members being blackballed for simply asking about membership. Tim Corlett, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025 Clark has previously testified on the stand that after falling out with Combs, the Revolt TV founder tried to blackball her. Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 29 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for blackball
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blackball
Verb
  • Once the contestants are dismissed from the runway, the judges get more into it.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025
  • Defense attorneys for the man accused of killing his Miami Hurricanes football star teammate in 2006 want prosecutors sanctioned — or the murder case dismissed — after a key witness, who state prosecutors believed was dead, was found alive by an ESPN reporter.
    Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Pope won five of the last six veto competitions, plus two HOHs to ensure her safety all on her own over the last month.
    Christopher Kuhagen, jsonline.com, 24 Sep. 2025
  • Yet the trajectory of European opinion that the recognition wave represents could push Germany and Italy to lift their veto.
    SHIRA EFRON, Foreign Affairs, 23 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Not since the ominous days of the blacklist in the ‘40s and ‘50s have entertainers faced the threat of permanent career banishment.
    Peter Bart, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2025
  • Penalties can include ejection, banishment from NFL games and events, and legal action.
    Skyler Caruso, People.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • At least four people were killed and eight were injured after a gunman attacked a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints service in Michigan on Sunday morning, police said.
    Joe Hernandez, NPR, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Since finding out the gun that killed Dark Hearts member Warren Clarke (Joshua Dye) at the trap house robbery gone wrong once belonged to one of their own, Perry has been on a mission to figure out who inside the biker gang was feeding information to the thieves.
    Megan McCluskey, Time, 29 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • In addition, TVLine will be on the ground at the ‘con, getting all the scoop direct from your Bravo faves.
    Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 30 Sep. 2025
  • The pros and cons of sparse attention An AI model makes decisions based on its training data and new information, such as a prompt.
    Tasmin Lockwood, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Dissenting opinion brings ostracism, loss of work and grants and friendships.
    Sal Rodriguez, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
  • But this ostracism has also been felt more widely across Israeli society, including among the large numbers of Israelis who oppose the war.
    Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • In the affidavit, a detective noted that Decker — who was divorced from his daughters’ mother — refused to sign a parenting plan that required him to seek mental health treatment and domestic violence anger management.
    Tim Stelloh, NBC news, 25 Sep. 2025
  • These include satellites apparently so secret that the US government refused to identify the agency that owns them.
    Benj Edwards, ArsTechnica, 25 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • That refusal is the through-line.
    Skylar Mitchell, Essence, 29 Sep. 2025
  • This scene played out repeatedly during the couple’s travels across Europe, Alaska and beyond – a testament not only to human kindness but to their spirit and refusal to let Trish’s multiple sclerosis stop them from traveling.
    Barbara Bry, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Blackball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blackball. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on blackball

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!