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.

That naturally contributes to the fund’s volatility, and in the past led to a significant black eye.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

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

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

Lewis Strauss, who had succeeded Dean as AEC chairman, unjustly labeled the boat a likely “Red spy ship,” intensifying the furor in Japan and creating a very public black eye for the American testing program.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik