blacking out

verb

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

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2
as in darkening
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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3
as in fainting
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 blacking out One surgeon takes sitting-down breaks during an operation to avoid blacking out from hunger. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 16 July 2026 But sometimes even blacking out after long night shoots? — Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 4 June 2026 Some hospitalized miners recalled seeing smoke and blacking out, according to state media reports. — ABC News, 23 May 2026 Gosling headlines Miller and Phil Lord’s film adaption of Andy Weir’s 2021 book of the same name, which centers on a school teacher turned astronaut tasked with stopping a mysterious entity from blacking out the sun. — Zack Sharf, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026 But beyond the humanitarian costs, blacking out the entire nation would be economically catastrophic for the region and could trigger a global recession. — Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2026 Any new rules and regulations proposed by the FCC that restrict leagues from paywalling, locally blacking out or spreading live sports content across numerous channels and apps could be challenged in court. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 4 Mar. 2026 In Singapore 2023, Williams driver Logan Sargeant retired from the race due to the extreme conditions, while Lance Stroll collapsed by his car after the race, near blacking out in high-speed corners. — Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025 Just half a year earlier, in March 2024, a landslide in the Trou sans Fond had ruptured all three cables, throttling or even blacking out the internet in Côte d’Ivoire and 12 other countries. — Samanth Subramanian, The Dial, 14 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blacking out
  1. eradicating
  2. darkening
  3. fainting
  4. erasing
  5. closing in
  6. passing out
  7. abolishing
  8. collapsing
Verb
  • Antibacterial wipes can also be beneficial for eradicating dirt and germs from both handles and zippers.
    — Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 27 July 2026
  • Four Months Before the Wedding If your primary concern is eradicating sun spots or hyperpigmentation before your wedding—whether that be on your face or body—speak with your dermatologist about the possibility of laser treatments.
    — Rio Viera-Newton, Vogue, 23 July 2026
Definition of eradicating
Verb
  • The summer sounds of 1966 offered a distraction from darkening clouds of social and political upheaval.
    — Michael Peregrine, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The Hapsburg Inspector General, the equivalent of the food inspector darkening the doorway of a scummy restaurant?
    — Diana Arterian, Literary Hub, 16 July 2026
Definition of darkening
Verb
  • Our director at the time, and other people, were practically fainting.
    — Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 21 July 2026
  • Other behaviors that put autistic children at risk of drowning include drinking water while swimming, which puts them at risk for accidentally inhaling water; and holding their breath for prolonged periods, which can lead to fainting underwater.
    — Tana Carson, The Conversation, 17 July 2026
Definition of fainting
Verb
  • The record-setting Warriors were only a few months removed from erasing a 3-1 series deficit to eliminate Durant’s Thunder in the Western Conference finals.
    — Devon Henderson, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026
  • On December 8, 2025, Instagram permanently terminated the account @nipeople, a project by artist, journalist, and activist Emma Shapiro, instantly erasing years of work and sparking a legal debate over digital freedom.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of erasing
Verb
  • James was closing in on Gadsden, but Herbert fired a fastball to beat the coverage.
    — Daniel Popper, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The move follows months of tension over the reopening of the Russian Pavilion, which returned this year after closing in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
    — George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 13 July 2026
Definition of closing in
Verb
  • Jack McGrail and Aiyana Da’Briel, staff leaders for the SoLa Live Accelerator program behind the event, seemed to be everywhere at once, passing out wristbands and scribbling on clipboards.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
  • The women alleged they were often choked by the brothers, sometimes to the point of passing out, before being raped.
    — Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 22 July 2026
Definition of passing out
Verb
  • El-Sayed describes himself as a capitalist and is not endorsed by the Democratic Socialists, but shares a similar policy platform to many of their candidates, such as abolishing ICE.
    — Sam Gringlas, NPR, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The video showed Romer confirming what the DSA platform stands for, including abolishing the Senate and replacing the presidency.
    — Britta Miller, The Washington Examiner, 31 July 2026
Definition of abolishing
Verb
  • There is more attention paid to buildings collapsing than to the actual people being harmed.
    — Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The fire broke out on June 17, burning for more than a week and collapsing the 500,000-square-foot facility.
    — Gavin J. Quinton, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2026
Definition of collapsing

Browse Nearby Words

blacking
blacking out
blackish
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Cite this Entry

“Blacking out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blacking%20out. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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