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
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2
as in banishment
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of blackball
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
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
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
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The felony charges were dismissed with prejudice, meaning they can't be refiled.—
Quinlan Bentley,
The Courier-Journal,
25 July 2025
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Doctors dismissed the spider bite and didn’t give her a clear explanation.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
24 July 2025
Noun
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Keanu used his power to allow a former houseguest to come in and play the Power of Veto competition in his place; Kelley used hers to compete in an additional veto competition.—
Dina Kaur,
AZCentral.com,
24 July 2025
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Masterson, an Andover Republican, has defined himself in opposition to Gov. Laura Kelly over the last four years, enacting legislation despite the Democratic governor’s vetoes and working to minimize her role in critical activities, such as shaping the state budget.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
21 July 2025
Verb
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The man accused of pulling the trigger in a Christmas Day shooting that killed two Milwaukee teenagers is no longer on the run.—
Chris Ramirez,
jsonline.com,
24 July 2025
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The push for tools to address overdoses has taken on more urgency as deaths from synthetic opioids have skyrocketed in Texas and across the U.S. Fentanyl was identified as the likely cause of a surge of 79 overdoses in Austin last spring, which killed nine people.—
Bayliss Wagner,
Austin American Statesman,
23 July 2025
Noun
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The pros and cons of the negotiation approach will be discussed.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 July 2025
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To compose a final decision, a balance must be found between the pros and cons.—
Chase Gemes,
Kansas City Star,
17 July 2025
Noun
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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
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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
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Kirton on Friday acknowledged he’d been given the training directive in 2022, but said his attorney advised him against attending or signing the form because Bloomfield leaders refused to show them the investigative report.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
19 July 2025
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Her heir-apparent will have diminished authority, impossible expectations, and the unenviable task of modernizing an institution whose departing leader refuses to depart.—
Lilian Raji,
Forbes.com,
19 July 2025
Noun
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But Committee Chair James Comer criticized O'Conner over his refusal to answer questions saying there had been a conspiracy to cover up Biden's cognitive decline.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 July 2025
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Also on Wednesday, the Trump administration sued the state over its refusal to ban transgender girls from competing in girls’ athletic programs.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
10 July 2025
Noun
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But the Trump administration said Maddox instead should’ve taken his cue from the Supreme Court’s May decision allowing the president to fire Democratic members of two federal labor boards while the former members challenge their dismissals.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
24 July 2025
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Right now, all Broward students are prohibited from using their cellphones from the morning bell until dismissal, under a policy the School Board passed last year in hopes of improving mental health and academics among students.—
Scott Travis,
Sun Sentinel,
24 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Blackball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blackball. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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