black·ball
ˈblak-ˌbȯl 
blackballed; blackballing; blackballs
1
: to vote against
especially
: to exclude from membership by casting a negative vote
1
: a small black ball for use as a negative vote in a ballot box
2
: an adverse vote especially against admitting someone to membership in an organization
Synonyms
Examples of blackball in a Sentence
Verb
She was blackballed by the sorority
Recent Examples on the Web
Christopher Goffard, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2024
Drunk, alone, blackballed, and broke, Dominick spent the rest of the decade spiraling.
—Shawn McCreesh, Vulture, 5 June 2024
Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 1 Feb. 2024
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
See all Example Sentences for blackball 
Verb
Some people associated with the production were hesitant to talk to him, for fear of being blackballed in Hollywood.
—Christopher Goffard, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2024
Drunk, alone, blackballed, and broke, Dominick spent the rest of the decade spiraling.
—Shawn McCreesh, Vulture, 5 June 2024
Noun
Campaign finance records reveal Trump’s cash crunch Donald Trump’s recent threat to blackball Republican donors who support his opponents was about more than just loyalty.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 1 Feb. 2024
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
See all Example Sentences for blackball
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'blackball.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near blackball
Cite this Entry
“Blackball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blackball. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
blackball
1 of 2 noun
black·ball
ˈblak-ˌbȯl
1
: a small black ball used to vote against a person
2
: a vote against a person
blackball
2 of 2 verb
: to vote against
especially
: to keep (a person) from joining something by voting against
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