blacktop

noun

black·​top ˈblak-ˌtäp How to pronounce blacktop (audio)
: a bituminous material used especially for surfacing roads
also : a surface paved with blacktop
blacktop transitive verb

Examples of blacktop in a Sentence

road crews laying down blacktop
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.
There was no printer — just heat shimmering off blacktop and a long chain-link fence. — Molly Parker, ProPublica, 16 Apr. 2026 In my case, the blacktop started to fracture into chunks about the size of a piece of pumpkin pie. — Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 13 June 2026 This company makes gas, diesel and chemicals like bitumen, used in making blacktop pavement. — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 12 May 2026 What used to be open fields, play equipment and a blacktop with an open area above the hill is now a turf area with trees for shade, tables, a low wall, new playground equipment, a safety fence and a full neighborhood above the hill. — Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for blacktop

Word History

First Known Use

1917, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of blacktop was in 1917

Rhymes for blacktop

See All Rhymes for blacktop

Browse Nearby Words

black tooth
blacktop
blacktown
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

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Kids Definition

blacktop

noun
black·​top -ˌtäp How to pronounce blacktop (audio)
: a bituminous material (as asphalt) used especially for surfacing roads
also : a surface paved with blacktop
blacktop verb

More from Merriam-Webster on blacktop

Nglish: Translation of blacktop for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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