blackball

1 of 2

verb

black·​ball ˈblak-ˌbȯl How to pronounce blackball (audio)
blackballed; blackballing; blackballs
Synonyms of blackballnext

transitive verb

1
: to vote against
especially : to exclude from membership by casting a negative vote
2
a
: to exclude socially : ostracize
b
: boycott

blackball

2 of 2

noun

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 of blackball

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Verb

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Examples of blackball in a Sentence

Verb She was blackballed by the sorority
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Verb
Social media rumors swirled that the league was blackballing her because of her activism. — Rebecca Tauber, New York Times, 4 May 2026 Divorced and unemployed, Coop gets blackballed from the finance sector entirely. — Ryan Brennan april 1, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2026
Noun
For more than 20 years, apologists for Israel have sought to shame, blackball, and fire professors who criticize Israeli policy. — David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 May 2025 Among the keys to its success, labor groups said, is the Accord’s ability to blackball factories that refuse to remediate safety violations from selling goods to signatory brands. — Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019 See All Example Sentences for blackball

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1550, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1763, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of blackball was in 1550

Rhymes for blackball

See All Rhymes for blackball

Browse Nearby Words

black baldy
blackball
black bamboo
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Blackball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blackball. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

blackball

1 of 2 noun
black·​ball ˈblak-ˌbȯl How to pronounce blackball (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on blackball

Nglish: Translation of blackball for Spanish Speakers

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