blackballed

past tense of blackball
as in dismissed
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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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 blackballed Kaepernick subsequently opted out of his contract with the 49ers and later in the year had received no contract offers; many of Kaepernick’s supporters suspected he was being blackballed because of his peaceful protests. Janice Gassam Asare, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026 Kaepernick was blackballed from the NFL for his decision to kneel on the sideline during the playing of the national anthem in protest of police brutality and racial injustice. Michael Cunningham, AJC.com, 4 June 2026 Amazon Studios has been sued by a post-production vendor who alleges he was blackballed after refusing to pay kickbacks to an Amazon employee. Gene Maddaus, Variety, 14 May 2026 After being blackballed from the finance sector, Coop resorts to burglarizing the homes of those in his social circle and pawning the items to stay afloat. Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 1 Apr. 2026 Divorced and unemployed, Coop gets blackballed from the finance sector entirely. Ryan Brennan april 1, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2026 Enter Sheila, a street magician blackballed by the local boys club who wows Lincoln with her tips-only act. Ben Travers, IndieWire, 20 Feb. 2026 Kaepernick was not issued a fine or suspension by the NFL, though no teams signed him as a 29-year-old free agent, leading to debate over whether he was blackballed by the league for his stance. Joseph Strauss, Sun Sentinel, 20 Jan. 2026 The reductive street code has blackballed Gunna in the rap game, with Offset and Roddy Ricch being the sole rapper collaborators on his two post-release albums. Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blackballed
Verb
  • Jason Melara’s attorney, Andrew Stein, asked the two murder charges be dismissed, telling Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Curtis Rappe there was no evidence his client pointed a gun at Aguilar.
    Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026
  • In 2023, researchers at MIT and elsewhere proposed that the bright white chunks scattered throughout Roman concrete—known as lime clasts and long dismissed as evidence of incomplete mixing—could help explain the material’s self-healing properties.
    Sam Macdonald, Scientific American, 11 July 2026
Verb
  • Starlink’s satellite internet has launched in around two dozen other African countries, but Musk has refused to follow South Africa’s affirmative action regulations.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 16 July 2026
  • Meanwhile, Jay Clayton refused to acknowledge Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 election during his confirmation hearing to become director of national intelligence.
    Alex Harring, CNBC, 16 July 2026
Verb
  • An Iranian missile and drone attack has killed nine fighters of an Iranian-Kurdish group based in neighboring Iraq, according to an official from the group.
    Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 17 July 2026
  • The defense attorneys argued Harris fired the first shots that killed Payton friend Turner and set off the barrage that led to the deaths of bystanders Martinez, Alexander, and Davis.
    Darrell Smith July 16, Sacbee.com, 17 July 2026
Verb
  • There were some like animal services that were in there that got vetoed.
    CBS Miami Team, CBS News, 12 July 2026
  • Beshear vetoed the 2021 and 2024 changes, but Republican lawmakers overrode him.
    Bill Barrow, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Blackballed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blackballed. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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