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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
  • Challenges to Essayli’s position were brought in several criminal cases, with defense lawyers arguing that charges filed under his watch are invalid and should be dismissed.
    Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
  • One of them, dismissed Sooners quarterback Chris Robison, was the MVP of the 2019 Conference USA championship, Kiffin’s second league title in three seasons.
    Matt Baker, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • José Dias Toffoli, who previously stepped down from overseeing the Banco Master case because of his links to Vorcaro, also refused to vote.
    MAURICIO SAVARESE, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Many families who are cited in the lawsuit said the insurer refused to test their homes for contaminants.
    Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • An Israeli strike killed at least four people in northern Gaza, including two children, hospital officials said Thursday.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Last month, Israeli Minister of Defense Israel Katz said that kites would be treated like drones; Benjamin Netanyahu threatened that the people launching them could be killed.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Congress did pass a bill in December 2024 that would have added 66 new federal judges, but then-President Joe Biden vetoed the legislation a month before leaving office.
    Carla Astudillo, ProPublica, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The bill was sent to Newsom, who vetoed a similar bill last year that also asked for the 15% average salary window.
    Sofia Williams, Sacbee.com, 2 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Blackballed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blackballed. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

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