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foul

[foul] / faʊl /








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.

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An investigation at the time determined his death “involved foul play,” but little other information was shared publicly.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 15, 2026

After his former protégé, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, said the U.S. would double repurchases of long-term bonds when they hit a previous peak, star hedge-fund manager Stanley Druckenmiller cried foul in The Wall Street Journal.

From The Wall Street Journal Sep. 10, 2026

The commission's Affordable Housing Act aims to provide cities with legal cover, clarifying when authorities can take action without falling foul of EU single market rules.

From Barron's Sep. 9, 2026

Sheffield United claimed foul play over the third-party ownership of Tevez and Mascherano, and West Ham were eventually ordered to pay £20m in compensation, having initially been fined £5.5m rather than being docked points.

From BBC Sep. 3, 2026

When it actually hit me that I was the winner and I would have the opportunity to become a millionaire by simply sinking a foul shot, I couldn’t control myself.

From "The Million Dollar Shot" by Dan Gutman

Fox’s coverage pivoted from hard fouls to trans panic, Clark got dragged into a fight she has spent three years trying to avoid and Cunningham’s follower count exploded.

From Salon Aug. 15, 2026

The VAR will not be able to review defensive fouls before the ball is in play because it is not possible to give a penalty.

From BBC Aug. 14, 2026

Argentina’s physical approach, which saw them finish with all those fouls and zero shots on target, didn’t win them many friends.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 21, 2026

In a shocking first half, Argentina committed more fouls than passes in the final third of the pitch.

From BBC Jul. 20, 2026

But the ref wasn’t calling touch fouls and Nick and Trip were helping out anytime Ice went up in the air and brought the ball back down.

From "Slam!" by Walter Dean Myers

Having inured himself to the fouler demands of his job, Jovan must now contend with a more depraved, bleach-resistant form of refuse as a rogue insider splatters his workplace with sinister graffiti.

From New York Times Nov. 22, 2017

And his merchants and armies were making a befouled realm even fouler.

From Slate Feb. 6, 2017

"Foul as it is, Hell itself is made fouler by the presence of John."

From BBC Oct. 18, 2016

Those off-flavors are the result of breaking down secondary products like amino acids and the ethanol which might result in some fouler or vinegary compounds, such as esters and aldehydes.

From Scientific American Aug. 20, 2012

Stones and dung and fouler things whistled overhead.

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin

They gave off one of the foulest smells I have ever experienced.

From BBC Dec. 20, 2023

Many have experienced its foulest moods and nowadays can even record what they’ve seen on their smartphones, then share the footage online.

From National Geographic Dec. 15, 2023

“There is no greater fool than one who shouts ‘Happy Christmas!’ in a city throughout which the foulest of mankind lurks ’round every corner,” Holmes growls.

From New York Times Dec. 1, 2021

Now imagine Lennon has steered your ship safely through a horrific storm, lashing himself to the captain’s chair and singing “the foulest, filthiest, manliest sea shanty” through the night.

From Washington Post Dec. 21, 2018

We were residing just ten paces from someone who was quite possibly a villain of the foulest kind.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

He’d already fouled off three sinkers in the at-bat and was rewarded with a four-seam fastball on the inner third of the plate.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 13, 2026

The environmentalists said the ranchers brought in invasive plants with their feed, and that cattle fouled the soil and waterways.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 16, 2026

It was the law of the blocked road and the fouled well—a pig loose on the highway, a tannery poisoning a shared stream, gunpowder stored where it might ignite and level the block.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 19, 2026

You're making a judgement as to whether a player has been fouled.

From BBC Jul. 19, 2026

I tell him that just because your teammate gets fouled on a lay-up doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ever drive to the lane again.

From "The Crossover" by Kwame Alexander

Adrien Rabiot: Lucky to stay on the pitch after fouling Ruiz having already been booked for an early challenge on Dani Olmo.

From BBC Jul. 14, 2026

For days before their brutal and bloody round-of-16 match against Paraguay, they devoted hours of practice time to countering soccer’s Dark Arts—trash talk, persistent fouling, and relentless physicality.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 9, 2026

But the victory came with an asterisk: Folarin Balogun, a Brooklyn-born striker who leads the team in goals, got a red card for fouling an opposing player.

From Slate Jul. 6, 2026

“The bottom half of the order, they were fouling off a lot of balls, we couldn’t put those guys out,” Roberts said.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 7, 2026

Sympathy lamps were mixed with candles, giving the room a natural light without fouling the air with smoke.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss




Vocabulary lists containing foul


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