void 1 of 3

1
as in null
having no legal or binding force an agreement is void if obtained by force

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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void

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noun

void

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective void contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of void are blank, empty, vacant, and vacuous. While all these words mean "lacking contents which could or should be present," void suggests absolute emptiness as far as the mind or senses can determine.

a statement void of meaning

When is it sensible to use blank instead of void?

The words blank and void are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, blank stresses the absence of any significant, relieving, or intelligible features on a surface.

a blank wall

When might empty be a better fit than void?

The synonyms empty and void are sometimes interchangeable, but empty suggests a complete absence of contents.

an empty bucket

When can vacant be used instead of void?

In some situations, the words vacant and void are roughly equivalent. However, vacant suggests an absence of appropriate contents or occupants.

a vacant apartment

In what contexts can vacuous take the place of void?

Although the words vacuous and void have much in common, vacuous suggests the emptiness of a vacuum and especially the lack of intelligence or significance.

a vacuous facial expression

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 void
Adjective
With Taylor sullied publicly and a leadership void atop the department, Luck became the face of Stanford athletics and the sole possessor of the authority necessary to salvage the football program. Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2025 Despite the Dolphins rookies’ apparent willingness to step up in 2025, the truth is the team has a leadership void with the departures of defensive tackle Calais Campbell and offensive tackle Terron Armstead. C. Isaiah Smalls Ii, Miami Herald, 7 May 2025
Noun
The world isn’t safer if power is diffused away from the American center and countries seek to fill the void within their various spheres of influence. Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 1 May 2025 Arizona could also go external and sign free agent reliever David Robertson to fill the void while Martinez and Puk recover from injury. Andrew Wright, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025
Verb
In doing so, the commissioners also voided a portion of the rule that requires applications for seats to be submitted days in advance. Nora O’Neill, Charlotte Observer, 23 Apr. 2025 These same governors have passed laws that effectively void the Soy Moratorium, a voluntary agreement that has contributed to a historically steep decline in deforestation by barring signatory companies from purchasing soy grown on land in the Amazon that was deforested after 2008. Sarah Sax, The Atlantic, 16 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for void
Recent Examples of Synonyms for void
Adjective
  • Null and Void The first major point of controversy involves something called the null energy condition, under which—among other things—energy can’t propagate faster than light.
    Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 30 Apr. 2025
  • Gloria and Emilio Estefan’s team also provided information that could render these accusations null.
    Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • One night at dinner, my daughter whispered to me that the empty bread basket was a bummer.
    Lauren Mechling, Vogue, 19 May 2025
  • The mad sorceress Eudoxia, Empress of Troy, has died, leaving the Serpent Throne empty.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 17 May 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
  • Delle, devoid for so long from its intrinsic need for social interaction might be filling in the gaps by talking to himself.
    Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 14 Feb. 2023
Noun
  • The fifth was disengaging into the secondary gap, the opposite direction.
    Daniel Popper, New York Times, 10 May 2025
  • According to the official, who spoke to CNN on condition of anonymity, Iran evaluates the talks’ interruptions and weekly gaps, which were against Tehran’s preference, as a political and media game by the American side and is now preparing for scenarios in which the talks fail.
    Frederik Pleitgen, CNN Money, 10 May 2025
Noun
  • Private contractors under the supervision of St. Paul Public Works will spend up to two months repairing the man-sized sink hole that opened on the evening of May 8, forcing ongoing partial road closures between Chestnut and Walnut streets.
    Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 13 May 2025
  • The screws may loosen and allow engine oil to leak from the screw holes, according to the recall report.
    James Powel, USA Today, 13 May 2025
Verb
  • The conservative view Many conservatives are determined to repeal or at least delay and dilute most of the clean energy breaks.
    David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 20 May 2025
  • The judges rationalized that any special consideration for minors ended when the U.S. Supreme Court repealed Roe v. Wade and the Florida Supreme Court followed suit.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 19 May 2025
Adjective
  • The company has also said no federal regulatory agency has ever told it the credits are invalid.
    Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 20 May 2025
  • The board oversees virtually every aspect of state elections, large and small, from setting rules dictating what makes ballots valid or invalid to monitoring compliance with campaign finance laws.
    Doug Bock Clark, ProPublica, 16 May 2025
Adjective
  • In the early 1900s, Jennie Butchart transformed the scarred land of a barren limestone quarry into a lush retreat, proving nature’s resilience.
    Cheryl Russell, Oc Register, 11 May 2025
  • The inky ocean depths are often assumed to be barren, but this is a myth, said Adrian Glover, a deep-sea ocean scientist at the UK’s Natural History Museum.
    Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 8 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Void.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/void. Accessed 24 May. 2025.

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