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blackball Definition

black·ball (-bôl′)

noun

  1. Historical a small black ball used as a vote against a person or thing
  2. a secret ballot or vote against a person or thing

transitive verb

  1. to vote against; esp., to vote against letting (a person) join one's organization
  2. to exclude from social life, etc.; ostracize

blackball Synonyms

blackball

v.

ostracize, exclude, repudiate; see bar 2.

blackball Usage Examples

Object

  • bastard: You wouldn't let me join, would you, you blackballing bastards.
  • community: One of the problems of the EU in the past had been its exclusivity which had effectively blackballed Eastern European communities for many years.

Modifying Another Word

  • effectively: One of the problems of the EU in the past had been its exclusivity which had effectively blackballed Eastern European communities for many years.