black eye

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The play was such a black eye that it was widely credited with putting an end to the standoff between the NFL and its referees.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

“I think it’s a major black eye for the city of L.A.,” one music executive said of Wasserman’s Epstein ties.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 11, 2026

But when the office market crashed during the pandemic, Breit became a black eye for Blackstone and a sore spot with its investors.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026

He recovers from that brush with death by slapping bandages on his face and sunglasses over his black eye to downplay the damage, a la Jack Nicholson’s Jake in “Chinatown.”

From Salon • Sep. 23, 2025

He had a black eye, and he was limping, but he had a smile on his face.

From "Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution" by Ji-li Jiang