as in emptiness
empty space
a conspicuous blankness surrounds the figure of the woman, for the artist is trying to suggest her deep isolation and loneliness
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Recent Examples of blankness
Jothan saw us and shook our hands, as did Michael Ray, but Sun Ra scuffled by with an air of depthless blankness.
—
Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
More than once, these wild understatements put me in mind of the comedian Nathan Fielder, whose odd blankness is often used to great effect in his work—although Honnold seemed perfectly sincere.
—Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
Perhaps there’s comfort to be found in the stillness and blankness of winter.
—The Atlantic Culture Desk, The Atlantic, 26 Dec. 2025
In that moment, control often slips away as muscles stiffen, limbs jerk, awareness fades into confusion or blankness and those around feel powerless to help.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 18 Nov. 2025
This can leave a certain blankness at the film’s center, but Seyfried’s performance ably fills in the emotional details.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2025
And yet there remains an ineffable quality, especially in Aje — a placid dreamy blankness, inimitable, touching in its naiveté, and a tragic flaw all at once.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
More than once, these wild understatements put me in mind of the comedian Nathan Fielder, whose odd blankness is often used to great effect in his work—although Honnold seemed perfectly sincere.
—Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
Perhaps there’s comfort to be found in the stillness and blankness of winter.
—The Atlantic Culture Desk, The Atlantic, 26 Dec. 2025
In that moment, control often slips away as muscles stiffen, limbs jerk, awareness fades into confusion or blankness and those around feel powerless to help.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 18 Nov. 2025
This can leave a certain blankness at the film’s center, but Seyfried’s performance ably fills in the emotional details.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2025
And yet there remains an ineffable quality, especially in Aje — a placid dreamy blankness, inimitable, touching in its naiveté, and a tragic flaw all at once.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blankness
emptiness
Noun
-
For them, mental emptiness leads to physical clarity.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
-
The rich 35mm frames are captured with a stillness that emphasizes the haunting emptiness around the characters.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blankness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blankness. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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