blue-penciling

verb

present participle of blue-pencil
as in deleting
to show (something written) to be no longer valid by drawing a cross over or a line through it military censors blue-penciled any remarks that could possibly be deemed critical

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for blue-penciling
  1. deleting
  2. canceling
Verb
  • Jonathan Thomas kept deleting text messages from Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, assuming the couple's digital wedding invitation was spam.
    — Bryan West, USA Today, 18 July 2026
  • At the time, Grande confirmed the news by deleting Instagram posts with Alvarez and sharing some telling tweets.
    — Giovana Gelhoren, InStyle, 16 July 2026
Definition of deleting
Verb
  • Consumers bypassing or canceling their cable subscriptions are cutting into the fees stations receive from pay TV providers.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2026
  • The requirement that companies have clear processes for cancelling a subscription or membership does not apply to all businesses.
    — P.R. Lockhart, Hartford Courant, 17 July 2026
Definition of canceling
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.

Browse Nearby Words

blue-penciled
blue-penciling
blue-pencils
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Cite this Entry

“Blue-penciling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blue-penciling. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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