as in to delete
to show (something written) to be no longer valid by drawing a cross over or a line through it
military censors blue-penciled any remarks that could possibly be deemed critical
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Recent Examples of blue-pencil
Before getting sunk by a turgid love story — the kind of cinematic dead zone Thalberg would have blue-penciled in the screenplay stage — The Last Tycoon provides a good sense of what a producer actually does.
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Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 20 Apr. 2025
Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 20 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blue-pencil
Verb
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During the episode, Kardashian opened up about that infamous photo with Meghan Markle from her mother's 70th birthday that was deleted from her Instagram.—
Meg Walters,
InStyle,
31 Jan. 2026
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Police may not delete your footage or view it without a warrant.—
Josh Kelly,
Oklahoman,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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After the devastating Eaton and Palisades wildfire turned the annual event into more of a fundraising effort last year — Davis’ party was one of the few Grammy Week events that wasn’t canceled in 2025 — the 2026 edition went back to its more traditionally celebratory feel.—
Ethan Millman,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Feb. 2026
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Miami flight cancellations The effects of Winter Storm Gianna has caused 20 flights to be canceled in and out of Miami International Airport.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blue-pencil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blue-pencil. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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