blackout 1 of 2

noun

ˈblak-ˌau̇t How to pronounce blackout (audio)
Definition of blackoutnext
as in daze
a temporary state of unconsciousness even though you experienced only a brief blackout, you still ought to be checked by a doctor

Synonyms & Similar Words

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black out

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to eradicate
to destroy all traces of had spent most of her adulthood trying to black out memories of a wretched childhood

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to darken
to grow dark with the delivery of the knockout punch, the screen blacks out, and in the next scene the boxer wakes up in the hospital

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to faint
to lose consciousness blacked out after hitting her head on the beam

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 blackout
Noun
Strikes on fuel facilities and the energy grid have caused widespread blackouts in Crimea, leading the local authorities to declare a state of emergency. — Marc Santora, New York Times, 4 July 2026 As Americans crank up their air conditioners, the country’s largest grid operator forecast that electricity demand could break records, raising the risk of blackouts. — J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 2 July 2026
Verb
The sign at the front of the stadium remained a little underwhelming, with the word Lumen blacked out but no replacement filled in. — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 23 June 2026 The auroral activity apparently caused some magnetic disturbances in the atmosphere, so that for three days we were almost blacked out on the radio. — Marc Terziev, Outdoor Life, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for blackout
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blackout
  1. daze
  2. eradicate
  3. darken
  4. faint
  5. trance
  6. erase
  7. dusk
  8. syncope
Noun
  • Hospital staff lined up to sing and dance, celebrating their good fortune, as the pair looked on in a daze.
    — Emmet Livingstone, NPR, 24 June 2026
  • Summer Satur-daze Summer Music Series.
    — Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 28 May 2026
Definition of daze
Verb
  • In 1980, smallpox became the first human disease ever eradicated worldwide.
    — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
  • The rare partnership is giving the tribe an opportunity to introduce its language, history, culture that the federal government once tried to eradicate to soccer fans around the world.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026
Definition of eradicate
Verb
  • Auto-correct tools generally brighten photos, but this one also knows when an image needs darkening.
    — Michael Muchmore, PC Magazine, 29 June 2026
  • Its most dramatic attack occurred last week, when hundreds of drones overwhelmed Moscow’s air defenses and hit refineries and storage tanks, sending up black plumes of smoke that darkened the sky.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 28 June 2026
Definition of darken
Verb
  • The woman, Muñoz said, had seen people fainting from the heat.
    — Vera Lucia Pappaterra, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026
  • The humble accessory that once adorned fainting couches in early 19th-century portraiture is appearing across modern bedrooms, from Ariel Kaye’s house to Brunch With Babs’s Connecticut home to this Palm Beach Spanish-style retreat.
    — Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 1 July 2026
Definition of faint
Noun
  • Plus, all of the songs put you in a nearly hypnotic trance that forces you to count in your head or tap your foot along to the beats.
    — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 2 July 2026
  • Welcome to a Monday Nightcaps — the one where UFC ring girl Chrissy Blair put America in a trance to celebrate the big 2-5-0.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 June 2026
Definition of trance
Verb
  • Sue Kim, director of color marketing at Cabot paints, says refreshing these pieces should never erase the charm.
    — Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 July 2026
  • In order to safely accomplish the stunt, Cruise was attached via a wire that was later erased in post production.
    — Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
Definition of erase
Verb
  • With minimal humidity, near-perfect clear-sky frequency and vast empty horizons, Namibia offers the kind of slow, immersive darkness that makes dusking feel less like a trend and more like a return to something ancient.
    — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026
  • Its hours are from dawn to dusk every day of the year.
    — Cathy Kozlowicz, jsonline.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Definition of dusk
Noun
  • The company also flags baseline cardiac disease, abnormal ECG, arrhythmia, prior cervical vagotomy, abnormal cervical anatomy, brain tumor or aneurysm history, head trauma, syncope, seizures and nickel allergy as unevaluated risks.
    — Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026
  • Vasovagal syncope is defined by the British National Health Service as a common type of fainting caused by a sudden drop in blood pressure and heart rate.
    — Jessica Hopkins, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2026
Definition of syncope

Browse Nearby Words

blackness
blackout
black out
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Cite this Entry

“Blackout.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blackout. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on blackout

Nglish: Translation of blackout for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about blackout

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