blackball

1 of 2

verb

black·​ball ˈblak-ˌbȯl 

blackballed; blackballing; blackballs

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

Verb

• down
• kill
• negative
• nix
• shoot down
• veto

Examples of blackball in a Sentence

Verb

She was blackballed by the sorority

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Japanese players who left early would face scorn and be blackballed if their MLB dreams fizzled. —Chad Jennings, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025

In fact, two Chicago police officers who alleged they were blackballed for trying to expose Watts’ corruption years ago won a $2 million settlement in their whistleblower lawsuit. —Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2025

Noun

And Grey Sloan is number one on the blackball list. —Lincee Ray, EW.com, 27 Sep. 2024

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

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1550, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1763, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids 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