Meaning trap
block out
avoid remembering
To try not to think about or remember something unpleasant or unwanted.
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
To try not to think about or remember something unpleasant or unwanted.
Another meaning of 'block out' is 'prevent light or sound'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
She tries to block out the memories of the accident.
Some people block out negative experiences as a way to protect their mental health, but I think it's better to talk about them.
Fix the pattern
One small grammar move makes it sound right.
Not: He tries to block out from the memory.
Say: He tries to block out the memory.
'Block out' takes the object directly — no 'from'.
Which sounds natural?
Tap the one a native speaker would say.
'Block out' is the natural verb for shutting a painful memory away; 'suppressed all recollection' is clinical.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
block out + memory/feeling
- the memory
- the pain
- it all
- everything
Don't confuse it
Related
Other meanings and phrases to compare.
- block out (prevent light or sound) — Another meaning of 'block out' is 'prevent light or sound'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.