Meaning & use

blackball

verb·Advanced

To exclude someone from membership, employment, or a social group, especially by a vote or agreement.

See it in a sentence

Several members tried to blackball the new candidate from joining the club.

After the scandal, he found himself quietly blackballed from the industry.

A note on using this word

Blackball comes from an old voting method using a black ball to cast a vote against a candidate for membership.

Words with a similar meaning

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Words with an opposite meaning

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