block out
Britishverb
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to plan or describe (something) in a general fashion
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to prevent the entry or consideration of (something)
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photog printing to mask part of (a negative), in order that light may not pass through it
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.
“We can’t just block out one sector of your constituents,” Garcia told the board.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026
Uniformed staff aren’t alone in trying to block out news.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026
Each doll comes with a pink fidget spinner to reduce stress and improve focus, and noise-cancelling headphones to block out background sounds and therefore limit sensory overload.
From BBC • Jan. 12, 2026
They simply block out anything they don’t like.
From MarketWatch • Nov. 5, 2025
Merriweather never took her eyes off the smoke as the sheer magnitude of it began to block out the sunlight.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
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.
