block out

phrasal verb

blocked out; blocking out; blocks out

: to hide or cover something so that it cannot be seen, felt, or heard

Clouds blocked out the sun.

We put on music to block out the sound of the traffic.

: to force oneself not to think about (something)

He tried to block the event out.

: to ignore (something)

blocking out distractions

Examples of block out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Being able to block out your classmates is an essential part of effective learning, and for those long-term study sessions, a pair of high-quality earbuds can make a huge difference. —

K. Thor Jensen, PCMAG, 3 Sep. 2024 Dissenting or critical voices are blocked out, leading to a skewed perception of reality. —

Mark Travers, Forbes, 3 Sep. 2024 Smoke has blocked out the sun at times in Athens, casting an orange tinge over the marble ruins of ancient Greece. —

Andrew Freedman, Axios, 13 Aug. 2024 The clouds that come along with it block out the sun, preventing it from killing the harmful bacteria in the water. —

Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for block out

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'block out.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.