blackball 1 of 2

as in to dismiss
to reject by or as if by a vote he was disappointed to learn that he had been blackballed by the fraternity

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

blackball

2 of 2

noun

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 blackball
Verb
Maybe there’s an alternate universe where musicians are currently banding together against AI, opting to blackball anyone complicit in its rapid ascension from a viral sideshow into a thorn in the industry’s side. Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 4 May 2023 Photos of Jay-Z hamming it up with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who many see as the face of Kaepernick’s blackball, were off-putting, to put it politely. Jonathan Jones, SI.com, 21 Aug. 2019
Noun
In her 114-page complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, the mother of one alleges after fleeing to California in 2009, she was blackballed in the industry and lost multiple work opportunities. Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 13 May 2025 Strangely, being blackballed hasn’t stopped her from working. Matthew Specktor, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019 See All Example Sentences for blackball
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blackball
Verb
  • So far, nearly 60,000 federal employees have been dismissed, with the State Department layoffs marking the latest round of cuts.
    Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 July 2025
  • With the reciprocal tariffs, Trump is dismissing the rules governing world trade.
    Aamer Madhani, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2025
Noun
  • The state legislature sought to overturn the veto, but failed by two votes.
    David Ubben, New York Times, 11 July 2025
  • Republicans in the Legislature put the measure on the ballot, bypassing a likely veto by Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs.
    Ray Stern, AZCentral.com, 11 July 2025
Verb
  • In that incident, a rooftop gunman fired at Trump from roughly 150 yards away, grazing his right ear and killing one attendee, Corey Comperatore, before Secret Service agents shot the attacker dead.
    Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 12 July 2025
  • The legislation didn’t kill Biden-era tax credits for manufacturers, as some had feared.
    Aarian Marshall, Wired News, 11 July 2025
Noun
  • Mod cons have been carefully integrated throughout, too.
    Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 7 July 2025
  • Check reviews to learn more about the pros and cons of each model and set a realistic budget before making a purchase.
    BestReviews, Mercury News, 4 July 2025
Noun
  • The divide between the sexes seems to be widening, with many individuals reluctant to find themselves in the gray area in between, where ambiguity could lead to criticism or social ostracism.
    Jerry Colonna, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
  • The resulting one-sided discourse means that views that don’t align with official propaganda often draw harassment and ostracism.
    Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2025
Verb
  • Molina-Neave was arrested in San Antonio, Texas, in 2006 but refused extradition to Denver.
    Jessica Seaman, Denver Post, 7 July 2025
  • Glover refused, and Pierce told her to turn around as she was being arrested.
    Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 7 July 2025
Noun
  • The lesson is that, in today’s Britain, the refusal to pursue meaningful change leads to perpetual turbulence and instability.
    Oliver Eagleton, Time, 5 July 2025
  • Critics and viewers alike praised its restraint, its atmosphere, its refusal to explain itself — qualities rarely associated with advertising.
    arkansasonline.com, arkansasonline.com, 5 July 2025
Noun
  • The Justice Department’s dismissal of the charges comes as Moore started a 15-day trial earlier this week in Salt Lake City, Utah.
    David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 12 July 2025
  • President Donald Trump’s potential dismissal of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is a major and underpriced risk that could trigger a selloff in the US dollar and Treasuries, a Deutsche Bank AG strategist said.
    Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 12 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Blackball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blackball. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

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