blacking out

Definition of blacking outnext
present participle of black out
1
2
as in darkening
to grow dark with the delivery of the knockout punch, the screen blacks out, and in the next scene the boxer wakes up in the hospital

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
as in fainting
to lose consciousness blacked out after hitting her head on the beam

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 blacking out Gosling headlines Miller and Phil Lord’s film adaption of Andy Weir’s 2021 book of the same name, which centers on a school teacher turned astronaut tasked with stopping a mysterious entity from blacking out the sun. Zack Sharf, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026 But beyond the humanitarian costs, blacking out the entire nation would be economically catastrophic for the region and could trigger a global recession. Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2026 Any new rules and regulations proposed by the FCC that restrict leagues from paywalling, locally blacking out or spreading live sports content across numerous channels and apps could be challenged in court. Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 4 Mar. 2026 In Singapore 2023, Williams driver Logan Sargeant retired from the race due to the extreme conditions, while Lance Stroll collapsed by his car after the race, near blacking out in high-speed corners. Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025 Just half a year earlier, in March 2024, a landslide in the Trou sans Fond had ruptured all three cables, throttling or even blacking out the internet in Côte d’Ivoire and 12 other countries. Samanth Subramanian, The Dial, 14 Oct. 2025 The last thing Ameilia Boodoosingh Gopie remembers before blacking out on the delivery table is holding her daughter, Allana, for the first time. Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025 The other major station group blacking out Kimmel, Nexstar, did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment about its plans. Dan Heching, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2025 Taxes are rising, the economy is faltering, the power grid is blacking out, energy prices are skyrocketing, violent crime is rampant and unaudited non-profit funding in the billions creates the appearance of mismanagement at the best and corruption at the worst. Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 17 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blacking out
Verb
  • Blaine begins to relentlessly beat Sam in retaliation for eradicating his wife, Anneliese.
    Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 23 May 2026
  • The new state consumer services agency will focus on eradicating junk fees, increasing online privacy protections and overseeing oil companies, according to Newsom’s office.
    Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 12 May 2026
Verb
  • For a country that relies on crude oil and natural gas exports for a significant chunk of its budget revenue, these attacks are not only producing financial strain for the Kremlin but darkening the Russian people’s psychology as well.
    Daniel DePetris, Twin Cities, 15 May 2026
  • The shades of twilight in Badlands National Park would test the limits of a Crayola 64-pack—the darkening sky contrasted against multilayered rock formations changing colors in the dying light.
    Robert Annis, Midwest Living, 14 May 2026
Verb
  • Everything from fainting and panic attacks to seizures and heart attacks.
    Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 16 May 2026
  • Manning said smelling salts have only been approved for fainting because of the temporary increase of blood flow to the brain, and increased heart and respiratory rates can wake a person up.
    Jason Jones, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Verb
  • But the treatment also destroyed the healthy stem cells responsible for her immune system, erasing the immunological memory of past vaccines and infections.
    Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 23 May 2026
  • There was still no way of erasing Chicago’s nine-run uprising in the fourth, the most runs allowed in an inning by the Giants since 2020 (also nine, by the then-Oakland Athletics).
    Cam Inman, Mercury News, 23 May 2026
Verb
  • While a forward who is rapidly closing in on 1,000 career goals is no doubt used to a big score—Ronaldo now matches Michael Jordan with his six stints atop the athlete earnings ranking and is surpassed only by Tiger Woods, who has led the list 11 times—his latest haul is historic.
    Brett Knight, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
  • News round-up Inter Miami are closing in on another marquee signing.
    Phil Hay, New York Times, 21 May 2026
Verb
  • The Cuesta Park neighborhood was quiet Thursday afternoon as a water delivery truck worked its way through the neighborhood, passing out large jugs of water and battery-operated pumps to impacted households.
    Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2026
  • Staff were stationed throughout, giving runners directions, passing out water and cheering us on.
    Nathan Diller, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • But on April 24, Stanford got tongue-tied when asked to explain her position on abolishing ICE.
    David Weigel, semafor.com, 18 May 2026
  • Let’s go down memory lane and recall that the 13th Amendment is abolishing slavery and involuntary servitude.
    Ann Marie Luft, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 May 2026
Verb
  • Because of his show’s cancellation, a wormhole opened up backstage at the Ed Sullivan Theater, collapsing the space between his Strike Force Five co-hosts.
    Bethy Squires, Vulture, 22 May 2026
  • Seattle’s economy, far from collapsing, continued to boom.
    Nick Hanauer, The Atlantic, 22 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Blacking out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blacking%20out. Accessed 24 May. 2026.

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