Definition of blue-pencilnext

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 blue-pencil Before getting sunk by a turgid love story — the kind of cinematic dead zone Thalberg would have blue-penciled in the screenplay stage — The Last Tycoon provides a good sense of what a producer actually does. Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 20 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blue-pencil
Verb
  • Following his arrest, Vance and his co-conspirators destroyed evidence by deleting phone messages and taking down the two websites, the plea agreement says.
    Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2026
  • According to the indictment, Van Dyke immediately withdrew his profit; then tried to delete his betting account on Polymarket, the world's biggest online prediction market.
    Jon Wertheim, CBS News, 28 June 2026
Verb
  • As aides at the Capitol were actively building a stage for the celebratory event, meant to communicate a big cost-of-living win to voters, the president abruptly canceled it.
    Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 2 July 2026
  • The city council voting against a recommendation by its fire marshal to cancel the display.
    Chierstin Roth, CBS News, 2 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Blue-pencil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blue-pencil. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.

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