black mark
noun
: something that makes something else less perfect or less appealing
His habitual tardiness was a black mark against him.
Examples of black mark in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
For many drivers of EVs in Florida — the nation’s second largest market for electrical vehicles — premature tire wear has become an unexpected black mark on vehicles promoted as a green climate-friendly option to gas-gulping cars.
—
Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 24 Jan. 2024
The black mark against Oppenheimer's name wasn't fully cleared until December 2022—right around the time the first trailer for Oppenheimer appeared.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 5 Aug. 2023
Also, Johnson’s conduct after the 2020 election is a black mark on his record.
—The Editors, National Review, 26 Oct. 2023
What makes this British movie rise above a million other films like it, however, is its refusal to view looking back as a way of shutting the door on a historical black mark.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 10 June 2023
Despite the black mark on his record from 2010, Quenneville also has plenty of positives on his resume.
—Carol Schram, Forbes, 6 May 2023
In the case of the magpie study, my colleagues and I used various control conditions (no mirror and/or a black mark that wasn't visible to the birds).
—Scientific American, 1 May 2020
Balancing the black mark against Young is Fitterer’s association with Russell Wilson.
—Mark Inabinett | Minabinett@al.com, al, 21 Mar. 2023
The approval came despite massive pressure from environmental groups, who see it as a black mark on Biden’s broader efforts to deal with climate change.
—Anchorage Daily News, 17 Mar. 2023
Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 24 Jan. 2024
The black mark against Oppenheimer's name wasn't fully cleared until December 2022—right around the time the first trailer for Oppenheimer appeared.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 5 Aug. 2023
Also, Johnson’s conduct after the 2020 election is a black mark on his record.
—The Editors, National Review, 26 Oct. 2023
What makes this British movie rise above a million other films like it, however, is its refusal to view looking back as a way of shutting the door on a historical black mark.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 10 June 2023
Despite the black mark on his record from 2010, Quenneville also has plenty of positives on his resume.
—Carol Schram, Forbes, 6 May 2023
In the case of the magpie study, my colleagues and I used various control conditions (no mirror and/or a black mark that wasn't visible to the birds).
—Scientific American, 1 May 2020
Balancing the black mark against Young is Fitterer’s association with Russell Wilson.
—Mark Inabinett | Minabinett@al.com, al, 21 Mar. 2023
The approval came despite massive pressure from environmental groups, who see it as a black mark on Biden’s broader efforts to deal with climate change.
—Anchorage Daily News, 17 Mar. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'black mark.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Black mark.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/black%20mark. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
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