blank
Americanadjective
-
(of paper or other writing surface) having no marks; not written or printed on.
a blank sheet of paper.
-
not filled in, as a printed form.
a blank check.
-
unrelieved or unbroken by ornament, opening, decoration, etc..
a blank wall.
-
lacking some usual or completing feature.
An image is stamped onto a blank coin by a die.
-
(of a recording medium) containing no previously recorded information.
She transferred all the restored data onto a blank hard drive.
I still have a few blank CD-ROMs.
-
void of interest, variety, results, etc..
She sometimes occupied her blank days reading detective stories.
-
showing no attention, interest, or emotion.
a blank expression on his face.
-
disconcerted; nonplussed; speechless.
He looked blank when I asked him why he applied for the job.
- Synonyms:
- perplexed, dumbstruck
-
blank stupidity.
- Synonyms:
- unqualified, absolute, perfect, unadulterated, thorough, pure, downright
-
Archaic. white; pale; colorless.
noun
-
blanks
plural
-
a place where something is lacking; an empty space.
a blank in one's memory.
-
a space in a printed form, test, etc., to be filled in.
Write your name in the blank.
-
a printed form containing such spaces.
Have you filled out one of these blanks?
-
a dash put in place of an omitted letter, series of letters, etc., especially to avoid writing a word considered profane or obscene.
-
Metalworking. a piece of metal ready to be drawn, pressed, or machined into a finished object.
-
Archery. the bull's-eye.
verb (used with object)
-
blanks,
present (3rd person singular)
-
blanked,
past participle, past
-
blanking
present participle
-
to cross out or delete, especially in order to invalidate or void (usually followed byout ).
to blank out an entry.
-
Informal. to keep (an opponent) from scoring in a game.
-
Metalworking. to stamp or punch out of flat stock, as with a die.
idioms
adjective
-
(of a writing surface) bearing no marks; not written on
-
(of a form, etc) with spaces left for details to be filled in
-
without ornament or break; unrelieved
a blank wall
-
not filled in; empty; void
a blank space
-
exhibiting no interest or expression
a blank look
-
lacking understanding; confused
he looked blank even after the explanations
-
absolute; complete
blank rejection
-
devoid of ideas or inspiration
his mind went blank in the exam
-
unproductive; barren
noun
-
an emptiness; void; blank space
-
an empty space for writing in, as on a printed form
-
a printed form containing such empty spaces
-
something characterized by incomprehension or mental confusion
my mind went a complete blank
-
a mark, often a dash, in place of a word, esp a taboo word
-
short for blank cartridge
-
a plate or plug used to seal an aperture
-
a piece of material prepared for stamping, punching, forging, etc
-
archery the white spot in the centre of a target
-
-
to choose a lottery ticket that fails to win
-
to get no results from something
-
verb
-
(usually foll by out) to cross out, blot, or obscure
-
slang to ignore or be unresponsive towards (someone)
the crowd blanked her for the first four numbers
-
to forge, stamp, punch, or cut (a piece of material) in preparation for forging, die-stamping, or drawing operations
-
(often foll by off) to seal (an aperture) with a plate or plug
-
informal to prevent (an opponent) from scoring in a game
Synonym Usage
See empty.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
blanksimple
-
blankssimple
-
have blankedperfect
-
has blankedperfect
-
am blankingprogressive
-
are blankingprogressive
-
is blankingprogressive
-
have been blankingperfect progressive
-
has been blankingperfect progressive
Past
-
blankedsimple
-
had blankedperfect
-
was blankingprogressive
-
were blankingprogressive
-
had been blankingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of blank
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English (noun and adjective) from Anglo-French, French blanc; adjective from Germanic; compare Old English blanca “white horse,” Old High German blanch “bright, white” ( German blank )
Explanation
Something that's blank is empty or undecorated. A blank canvas hasn't been drawn or painted on yet — it's clean and unmarked. A blank computer screen has no information on it, and a blank look on someone's face is completely free of any expression, revealing nothing. If your mind goes blank during a job interview, you are left without any thoughts for a moment. When blank is a noun, it means "a line to be filled in" or "an empty space." In the 1500s, a blank was the empty, white center of a target, from the French word blanc, or "white."
Vocabulary lists containing blank
Absent
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Empty
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Absent
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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.
See Examples For:
The proportion of spoiled and blank votes also decreased.
From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2026
The blank, black planes, devoid of facial features, create space for viewers to imagine themselves in their place.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
Some 23% of voters said they had no interest in the election, while 10% planned to cast a blank or null ballot or stay home, according to a recent survey by polling firm Quaest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
"This does not mean a blank cheque for Big Tech. Developers must use water responsibly, and new developments must be considered through the planning system."
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
Between a family background that’s a bit of a blank and a best friend who’s always been the brightest star in the constellation of our friendship, I’m not sure I’ve ever really known.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
I understand why the many chefs who mucked up the “Crystal Lake” cauldron, starting with Bryan Fuller, were compelled to fill in the blanks of Pamela’s origin story.
From Salon ● Oct. 18, 2026
No fog lights grace the front lower corners; the molded blanks in the lower grille look like waffle irons.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
Yet many companies have been waiting for the Treasury Department and IRS to fill in the blanks on the rules for contributions from employers and employees.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
It is the lack of detail and potentially very narrow window to fill in the blanks that are causing jitters for some in the party.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
Boggs gives Peeta back his gun, too, although he makes sure to tell him in a loud voice that it’s only loaded with blanks.
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
HBO the canvas is wider and blanker, and Sinclair says that the previous episodes put them under pressure too.
From The Guardian ● Sep. 16, 2016
Eilis’s innocence couldn’t be purer or blanker if she had been imported straight from “Little Red Riding Hood,” and the simplicity of the good—and the bad—folk back home in Enniscorthy couldn’t be more apparent.
From The New Yorker ● Nov. 6, 2015
On that first day, I glimpsed Ayano in the intensive care room, wrapped in a red and blue blanker, struggling to breathe, his eyes tipped back into his skull.
From Time Magazine Archive
The men hovering around us all had that murky quality to their expressions—blank smiles, blanker eyes.
From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken
If I had told him that part of that business was the laying out of a tennis-court he might have looked blanker.
From The Magic Egg and Other Stories by Frank Richard Stockton
"No," said the Spain coach, with the blankest of looks on his face, after being asked if he had seen a better team than his at the European Championship.
From Fox News ● Jul. 5, 2021
“No,” said the Spain coach, with the blankest of looks on his face, after being asked if he had seen a better team than his at the European Championship.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 5, 2021
“She looked at me right in the eye with the blankest face, the blankest white pale face, a face that haunts me to this day, and says, ‘I love you,’ he recalled.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2016
“It was a failed experiment. I was singing something about how expensive my hormones were, and I just got the blankest face from him.”
From The Guardian ● Apr. 7, 2016
None of his “leads” had led anywhere, except, perhaps, down a blind alley toward the blankest of walls.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
DeChambeau blanked the media all week despite being in contention and in the spotlight.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
When Roberts pulled Yamamoto in the sixth, he had blanked his opponents with 10 strikeouts, four hits and two walks.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 31, 2026
On their home ice and snow, Norway went from getting blanked to winning 10 golds and the medal count.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 17, 2026
He blanked out his mind and refused to think critically.
From Salon ● Dec. 20, 2025
So he worked from the chair, not rising, and every now and then he rested his head in his hands and closed his eyes and blanked the brain, and so rested.
From "The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War" by Michael Shaara
When a team scores, the hammer passes to the other team for the next end, which can lead to rinks tactically blanking an end rather than just taking one point so they retain the hammer.
From BBC ● Feb. 4, 2026
It was Minnesota’s first shutout since defeating Green Bay 16-0 on Dec. 23, 2017 and the first blanking of Las Vegas since its 24-0 loss to New Orleans on Oct.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 11, 2023
Jonathan Quick became the first U.S.-born goalie to notch 60 career shutouts, blanking Pittsburgh one game after the Rangers blew a two-goal lead to Dallas and saw their 11-game points streak snapped.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 24, 2023
But Cubs right-hander Taillon was up to the task, blanking the Dodgers on two hits in five innings, striking out seven and walking two, and relievers Leiter and Thompson added three scoreless innings.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2023
As was always the case after blanking out, I could not decide which way I was supposed to go.
From "100 Sideways Miles" by Andrew Smith
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