black out

verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"black-out" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“black out” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To censor or cover up by writing over with black ink.

Key facts for black out
PropertyValue
Headwordblack out
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “black out” sits in English frequency

black out falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

black out is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 6 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for black out in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct English form is black out, spelled B-L-A-C-K- -O-U-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To censor or cover up by writing over with black ink.
  2. 2
    To censor or cover up.
  3. 3
    To lose consciousness; to suffer a blackout.
  4. 4
    To cause (someone) to lose consciousness.
  5. 5
    To obscure in darkness.
  6. 6
    To be in a state of blackout, as a building, a city, a ship.

Synonyms

faintpass outdarken

This word in other languages

noircir(Français)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "black out"?
"black out" is spelled B-L-A-C-K- -O-U-T.
What does "black out" mean?
As a verb, "black out" means: To censor or cover up by writing over with black ink.
What language does "black out" come from?
"black out" is a English word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “black out”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is B-L-A-C-K- -O-U-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list