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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in banishment
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of blackball
Michael Saponara, Billboard, 22 Oct. 2025
The premise is the plot: Powell plays Russ Holiday, a disgraced University of Oregon star who blows a championship game so spectacularly that he’s blackballed from the pros.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for blackball
Verb
In the past, the Young Money rapper has accused Roc Nation of blackballing her and also owing her $200 million.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 22 Oct. 2025
The premise is the plot: Powell plays Russ Holiday, a disgraced University of Oregon star who blows a championship game so spectacularly that he’s blackballed from the pros.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2025
Noun
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
See All Example Sentences for blackball
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blackball
Verb
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Marty Singer, attorney for the spouses at the time, dismissed the controversy.—
Alexandra Del Rosario,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Yesterday, Judge Aran Subramanian dismissed some portions of the suit but allowed other claims to proceed in the DOJ’s efforts to break up Live Nation and Ticketmaster.—
Steven J. Horowitz,
Variety,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The council majority could pass its plan without input from Lee, who does not hold veto power.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
15 Feb. 2026
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The veto was a victory for businesses that sell those kinds of products, but a federal ban is still scheduled to go into effect later this year.—
Victor Jacobo,
CBS News,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
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So, no, at the moment no sign from the NBA of any Heat relief for the 2027 or ’28 first-round pick due to the Hornets from the trade for Terry Rozier, even in the wake of his banishment in the FBI gambling probe.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
16 Feb. 2026
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But what also helped ensure his banishment was Johnny and Tara’s decision to act as a unit, thus splitting the non-Stephen vote.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Democrats demanded new restrictions on federal immigration agents in exchange for voting to fund DHS after Alex Pretti was killed last month in Minneapolis.—
Riley Beggin,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Cuba said 32 of its citizens were killed in the attack.—
Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The success of Episode 6, and ultimately the con at the heart of Season 4, would rest on the answer.—
Chris O'Falt,
IndieWire,
16 Feb. 2026
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Here are the pros and cons of each.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The press feasted on Duesberg’s self-portrayal as the victim of ostracism arising from professional jealousies — a target of cancel culture before that was a thing.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026
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As explained in the journal study, animals (including humans) living in social groups often try to conceal signs of illness to avoid ostracism or aggression.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
24 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Like Social Security and Medicare reform and the massive national debt, which is at $38 trillion and counting because Washington refuses to cut spending, despite record amounts of revenue flooding into the Treasury.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
17 Feb. 2026
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She is known for her perfectly coiffed buns; my baby hairs, on the other hand, refuse to fall in line.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The tension in Hines’s version lies in Bessette’s refusal to conform to the role.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
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And six in 10 view Republicans’ refusal to accept changes requested by Democrats negatively.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blackball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blackball. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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