Definition of BLANK (original) (raw)
1
a
: appearing or causing to appear dazed, confounded, or nonplussed
b
: not having any relevant thoughts
I tried to answer but my mind went blank. [=I was unable to think of anything.]
2
a
: devoid of covering or content : such as
(1)
: free from writing or marks
(2)
: without any recorded sound or information
(3)
: suddenly empty of any display
My screen keeps going blank.
c
: lacking interest, variety, or change
4
especially : having a plain or unbroken surface where an opening is usual
1
a
: an empty space (as on a paper)
b
: a paper with spaces for the entry of data
2
a
: a piece of material prepared to be made into something (such as a key) by a further operation
b
: a gun cartridge loaded with propellant and a seal but no projectile
3
a
: something of which one has no memory
The first hour after the accident is a complete blank.
I tried to remember her name but drew a blank/my mind was a blank. [=I could not remember her name]
b
: a vacant or uneventful period
4
: a dash substituting for an omitted word
5
obsolete : the bull's-eye of a target
1
b
: to stop access to : seal
2
: to keep (an opponent) from scoring
were blanked for eight innings
3
British slang : to treat (a friend or acquaintance) in a hostile or unfriendly way : to ignore or refuse to talk to (someone)
And unpopular Gardiner has found himself isolated after the show's cast and crew blanked him.—
Mark Jefferies
1
: fade —usually used with out
the music blanked out
2
: to become confused or abstracted —often used with out
his mind blanked out momentarily
Synonyms of blank
Choose the Right Synonym for blank
vacant suggests an absence of appropriate contents or occupants.
blank stresses the absence of any significant, relieving, or intelligible features on a surface.
void suggests absolute emptiness as far as the mind or senses can determine.
a statement void of meaning
vacuous suggests the emptiness of a vacuum and especially the lack of intelligence or significance.
a vacuous facial expression
Examples of blank in a Sentence
Adjective
a blank sheet of paper a book with blank pages Noun
The form has a blank for your signature. The actors are shooting blanks. Verb
The goalie blanked the Falcons for two periods in the hockey game.
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.
Nobody is seriously floating Bob Iger or Howard Schultz as a 2028 presidential prospect — the business-builder, centrist blank canvas onto which Americans might project their hopes and dreams. —Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 14 May 2026 If portions of the page appear blank and an ad blocker is enabled, please disable the ad blocker and refresh the page to ensure full access to the content. —Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 14 May 2026
Thoughts race, filling in the blanks with worst-case scenarios. —Bybryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 14 May 2026 His eyes were glazed, his expression blank. —James Verini, The Atlantic, 12 May 2026
Reese Taylor threw a no-hitter with nine strikeouts as Apponequet blanked New Bedford, 3-0. —Brian Roach, Boston Herald, 10 May 2026 The right-hander blanked the Rockies for five innings, allowing four harmless singles over. —Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 7 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for blank
Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Middle English blank, blaunk "white, (of a document) having empty spaces to be filled in," borrowed from Anglo-French blanc, (feminine) blanche "white, pale, bright, not written on" (also continental Old French), going back to Gallo-Romance *blanko-, borrowed from Germanic *blanka- "bright, without color" (whence Old English blanca, blonca "white horse," Old Saxon wahsblank "white as wax, dun-colored," Middle Dutch blank "light-colored [of a complexion]," Old High German blanc, blanch "pale, white [especially of horses]," Old Icelandic blakkr "pale, brownish-yellow [especially of horses]"), derivative, with infixed -n-, of *blaka-, the etymon of Old English blæc, blac "black, (of other colors) dark" — more at black entry 1
Note: G. Kroonen (Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic) takes Germanic *blanka- as a derivative of a strong verb represented by Dutch blinken "to shine" (see blink entry 1). Elsewhere Dutch blinken, English blink entry 1, blench entry 1, etc., have been taken as secondary derivatives of *blanka- (see R. Lühr, Expressivität und Lautgesetz im Germanischen [Heidelberg, 1988], pp. 96-97; A. L. Lloyd, et al., Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen, vol. 2, pp. 157-58).
Noun
derivative of blank entry 1
Verb
derivative of blank entry 1 or blank entry 2
First Known Use
Adjective
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 5
Noun
circa 1570, in the meaning defined at sense 5
Verb
1764, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of blank was in the 14th century
Browse Nearby Words
Cite this Entry
“Blank.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blank. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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