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to show (something written) to be no longer valid by drawing a cross over or a line through it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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To execute its ruthless 66-pound weight loss program, the rear seats have been completely deleted, replaced by a massive structural strut brace that significantly stiffens the chassis.—
Peter Lyon,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
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Grande’s comment has since been deleted or hidden from the video’s replies, and the sound on the TikTok has been disabled.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
Verb
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Madison Square Garden canceled its official Game 4 watch party amid a public dispute with city officials over security restrictions.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
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In a statement to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the event's producer Live Nation explained that the concert was canceled because Stewart had a recurrence of a sinus infection.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blue-pencil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blue-pencil. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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