blank 1 of 3

1
2
3

blank

2 of 3

noun

1
as in form
a piece of paper with information written or to be written on it handed him an employment blank to fill out

Synonyms & Similar Words

2

blank

3 of 3

verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective blank contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of blank are empty, vacant, vacuous, and void. While all these words mean "lacking contents which could or should be present," blank stresses the absence of any significant, relieving, or intelligible features on a surface.

a blank wall

When could empty be used to replace blank?

Although the words empty and blank have much in common, empty suggests a complete absence of contents.

an empty bucket

When can vacant be used instead of blank?

In some situations, the words vacant and blank are roughly equivalent. However, vacant suggests an absence of appropriate contents or occupants.

a vacant apartment

Where would vacuous be a reasonable alternative to blank?

The words vacuous and blank are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, vacuous suggests the emptiness of a vacuum and especially the lack of intelligence or significance.

a vacuous facial expression

When would void be a good substitute for blank?

The meanings of void and blank largely overlap; however, void suggests absolute emptiness as far as the mind or senses can determine.

a statement void of meaning

Examples of blank in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The armorer on the set, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was responsible for all firearms and blank ammunition used during production. Kristian Burt, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2024 The primary bedroom used to be a blank, white box, but Chloe says painting the paneling and beams gave it a totally new look. Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 1 Oct. 2024
Noun
Read: The many lives of Adrienne Rich Gumbs lets her own musings fill in the blanks, imagining that the women still held each other in fondness, inquiring after each other through friends and colleagues. Danielle Amir Jackson, The Atlantic, 8 Sep. 2024 Oddly enough, as if already knowing the future and only needing to fill in a few blanks in a prewritten press release from McMurtry dated June 19th, the Spéirling fan car absolutely decimated the previous long-layout record, sucking its way up the Corkscrew in 28.6 seconds. New Atlas, 15 Aug. 2024
Verb
The Rockies’ bright spots came from third baseman Ryan McMahon, shortstop Ezequiel Tovar and a bullpen that blanked Detroit for four innings. Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post, 11 Sep. 2024 Shut out only twice last year, the Braves have been blanked nine times this season. Dan Schlossberg, Forbes, 8 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for blank 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'blank.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Thesaurus Entries Near blank

Cite this Entry

“Blank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blank. Accessed 21 Oct. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on blank

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!