blotting out
Hiding from view
Blotting out is the act of obscuring, erasing, or obliterating something completely.
The phrase comes from the physical action of using absorbent material to soak up ink, leaving no trace.
You might blot out an unpleasant memory, or clouds might blot out the sun.
He tried blotting out the past, but it kept resurfacing.
The sense is of total removal or concealment.
- erasureAct of wiping away
- blocking outObstructing from awareness or view
- concealingKeeping something secret
- covering upHiding wrongdoing from others
- deletionRemoval of content
crossing out · effacement · expunging · veiling · blurring · elimination · stamping out · canceling · hiding · annihilation · obscure · mask · clouding · whiting out · redact · wiping · whitewash · cover
- concealmentconceal, hiding, concealing, concealed, hide
- destructiondestruction, destroying, demolishing, devastation, ruination
- removalremove, elimination, delete, erasing, erase
- dissolutionbreakup, breakdown, liquidation, wind down, disintegration
blotting outrevealing
Making known what's hidden
exposing · uncovering · unveiling · showing · displaying
blotting outremembering
Retaining past information
recalling · preserving · restoring · commemorating · recording
blotting outilluminating
Making visible or understandable
lighting up · brightening · radiating · beaming · glowing
outing, blot, outs, obliterate, blot out, blots, blotted, obliteration, blotting