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blank

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noun

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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

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blank

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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

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 blank
Noun
The video shows star players like Coco Gauff, Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner greeting Baby Stella, who was prepared for the excitement with a Sharpie and her helmet as a blank canvas for players to sign their autographs. Natasha Dye, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025 There’s a Purple 0 down the left side, and obviously the only domino that can go there is our last blank-sided domino, with 6 jutting over into Blue 21. Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Verb
But Pinstripes Nation scribe Sara Molnick filled in the blanks on Monday. Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025 Tools like Heimdall’s orb, dubbed the Neuron, can fill in that blank. IEEE Spectrum, 13 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for blank
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blank
Adjective
  • First Impressions The SOLIX EverFrost 2 is heavy, even when empty.
    Brad Moon, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
  • If not in use, empty and cover them.
    John Tufts, IndyStar, 29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Banking has become functionally correct but emotionally devoid, with the industry swimming in a sea of sameness.
    Michael Abbott, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
  • That devoid ingredient hindered things exponentially.
    Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 15 Feb. 2024
Adjective
  • Slickers County Ice Cream No trip to Prince Edward County is complete without a stop at this beloved small-batch ice cream shop.
    Alexandra Emanuelli, Travel + Leisure, 7 Sep. 2025
  • At that point, a new Border War chapter was all but complete, and this one came with huge moments, plot twists, momentum swings, the works.
    Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 7 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Around many of these newborn stars, the surrounding gas forms protoplanetary disks, dense fields of material from which planets can be born.
    Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 4 Sep. 2025
  • The friends were both wearing some form of American flag on their outfits and were visiting from Syracuse, New York.
    BrieAnna J. Frank, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Voisin — who played another hero of a French classic in Xavier Giannoli’s 2021 adaptation of Balzac’s Lost Illusions — carries the entire drama as a lost soul whose physical beauty (perfect jawline, killer abs) can hardly conceal the emptiness inside of him.
    Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2025
  • When Scout died, Watson was left grappling with an emptiness that followed her home each day.
    Ashley Vega, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Still, sometimes the heat is impossible to ignore — evident in the small sweat stains on Dinkel’s blue collared shirt.
    Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Carrie Severino, president of the conservative advocacy group Judicial Crisis Network, previously told the Washington Examiner that the justices have made recent orders more explicit and clear as lower court judges have ignored the Supreme Court’s previous orders on its emergency docket.
    Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • DeSantis appointed his former Chief of Staff James Uthmeier to the vacant attorney general post in February, giving him an incumbent-like advantage for the 2026 election even though voters did not pick him for the job.
    Alexandra Glorioso, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Even Roosevelt, the city’s most cherished school, has been vacant since 2019 and fallen into disrepair.
    Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • For Bear, the new arrangement is great about 99 percent of the time… the only drawback is that Nikki occasionally snaps back into her old self and screams in utter terror for a few seconds, before resuming the love-bombing.
    Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Twenty-four years later, the shape of this new work of fiction highlights both the insufficiency of memory, of story, and their utter necessity.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Blank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blank. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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