Thesaurus results for BLUE-PENCIL

blue-pencil

verb

ˈblü-ˈpen(t)-səl

Definition of blue-pencil

as in to delete

to show (something written) to be no longer valid by drawing a cross over or a line through it military censors blue-penciled any remarks that could possibly be deemed critical

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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 blue-pencil Before getting sunk by a turgid love story — the kind of cinematic dead zone Thalberg would have blue-penciled in the screenplay stage — The Last Tycoon provides a good sense of what a producer actually does. — Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 20 Apr. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for blue-pencil

Verb

But that claim is difficult to reconcile with the disproportionate representation of certain groups among those deleted from supplementary lists issued for some constituencies after an adjudication process.

— Asim Ali, Time, 24 Oct. 2026
Meta describes this option as permanently deleting chat history, stored files and active tasks.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of delete

Verb

Unlikely influencers, from foodies to mothers to retirees, are weighing in on Proposition 40, a one-time 5% tax on the assets of the state’s roughly 200 billionaires and on other ballot measures created to cancel it.

— Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
The international governing body for soccer was allowed to cancel its extra reservations — up to 5,000 rooms per night — 120 days before arrival.

— PJ Green, Kansas City Star, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of cancel

Browse Nearby Words

bluenoses

blue-pencil

blue-penciled

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“Blue-pencil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blue-pencil. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of blue-pencil

verb

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