blank out
To make something empty and white, OR to suddenly forget everything, OR to try to forget something painful.
Meanings
To erase or cover text, images, or information so that nothing remains visible.
"She blanked out the personal details on the form before photocopying it."
To experience a sudden complete loss of memory or mental function.
"I knew all the answers at home, but my mind blanked out completely during the test."
To deliberately try to forget or suppress an unpleasant memory or feeling.
"He tried to blank out the painful memories of the accident by keeping himself busy."
Covers both literal (erasing written content) and figurative (mental blocking) senses. The forgetting/dissociation sense is common in everyday speech. The suppression-of-memory sense is often used in psychological contexts. British and American English use it similarly.
Commonly used with
Forms
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