as in to delete
to show (something written) to be no longer valid by drawing a cross over or a line through it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
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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.
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Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 20 Apr. 2025
Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 20 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blue-pencil
Verb
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Others have been prompted to use it immediately after manually deleting a selection of photos, suggesting a somewhat unpredictable pattern of activation.—
Paul Monckton,
Forbes.com,
19 Aug. 2025
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Fans who purchase the film on digital can take a deep dive into the massive production with behind-the-scenes interviews, exclusive commentary, and deleted footage not seen in theaters.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
19 Aug. 2025
Verb
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After the players strike in August 1994 led Selig to cancel the stretch run and postseason, fans rightfully avoided going to ballparks in ’95 and ’96.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Aug. 2025
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Stephan Winkelmann, the CEO of Lamborghini, said customers are demanding piercing V12s and V8s in their garages, forcing him to cancel the company's plan to build all-electric supercars and SUVs.—
Morgan Korn,
ABC News,
24 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Blue-pencil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blue-pencil. Accessed 31 Aug. 2025.
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