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Synonyms

blank check

American  

noun

  1. a bank check bearing a signature but no stated amount.

  2. unrestricted authority; a free hand.

    He was given a blank check in the choice of personnel for the new department.
blank check Idioms  

  1. Unrestricted authority, a free hand, as in I'll support most of the chairman's agenda, but I'm not ready to give him a blank check for the company's future. Literally this term signifies a bank check that is signed by the drawer but does not indicate the amount of money, which is filled in by the person to whom it is given. [Late 1800s]

Etymology

Origin of blank check

First recorded in 1790–95, and in 1885–90 blank check for def. 2

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Blank check companies raise money to acquire operating businesses.

From Reuters • Nov. 6, 2022

Blank check deals have become harder to pull off.

From New York Times • Jul. 27, 2021

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.