Meaning & use
blank cheques
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“blank cheques” is a form of “blank cheque”.
Meanings
nounpluralBritish
Cheques with the amount left empty, so the person who receives them can write in any sum.
Grammar: Countable; the singular is 'blank cheque' and the American spelling is 'blank check'.
Patterns
- write (someone) a blank cheque
- sign a blank cheque
- give someone a blank cheque
The manager signed a blank cheque and told her to fill in the amount later.
Never leave blank cheques lying around in a drawer.
The old man wrote a blank cheque for the repairs so the work could start at once.
nounsingularfigurative
Complete freedom to do whatever you want, especially spending money or taking decisions.
Grammar: Used figuratively, often in the phrase 'give someone a blank cheque'; the plural 'blank cheques' also appears.
Patterns
- give someone a blank cheque
- a blank cheque to do something
- hand someone a blank cheque
By approving the budget, the council gave the director a blank cheque.
Voters were unwilling to hand the government a blank cheque on tax reform.
The treaty was seen as a blank cheque for future military action.
Word forms
| singular | blank cheque |
|---|---|
| US singular | blank check |
| US plural | blank checks |
Common combinations
- sign a blank cheque
- He signed a blank cheque and trusted his assistant to fill it in.
- give someone a blank cheque
- Parliament refused to give the minister a blank cheque over spending.
- a blank cheque to do something
- The board handed the new chief a blank cheque to rebuild the company.
- write a blank cheque
- She wrote a blank cheque for the deposit and posted it that afternoon.
Synonyms and how they differ
- free rein
- Emphasizes freedom of action rather than money, and is not used for actual bank cheques.
- carte blanche
- Borrowed from French and means full freedom to act; it never refers to a real cheque.
Opposites
Word family
- blank check noun
- The American spelling of the same term, used both literally and figuratively.
- chequebook noun
- The book of cheques a person or business keeps.
Commonly confused: blank cheques or blank check? blank cheques or paycheck?
blank cheques vs blank check
This is not a different word: it is simply the American spelling of 'blank cheque'. Use 'cheque' in British English and 'check' in American English.
blank cheques vs paycheck
A paycheck is the money you receive for work, not a form you sign to pay someone else.
Practice
The finance committee warned that the loan would amount to ______ for the company's expansion plans.
Choose one answer.
'A blank cheque' is the fixed figurative phrase meaning unlimited freedom or funding. 'An empty cheque' and 'a clear cheque' are not English expressions, and 'a blank bill' would mean an empty invoice, not unlimited permission.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “blank cheques”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.