plural foxes also fox
often attributive
1
a
: any of various carnivorous (see carnivorous sense 1) mammals (especially genus Vulpes) of the dog family related to but smaller than wolves with shorter legs, more pointed muzzle, large erect ears, and long bushy tail
b
: the fur of a fox
2
: a clever crafty person
He's a sly old fox.
3
: a good-looking young woman or man
4
capitalized
: a member of an American Indian people formerly living in what is now Wisconsin
5
archaic
: sword
Synonyms
Examples of fox in a Sentence
Noun
He's a wily old fox.
she's a real fox—smart, sassy, and sexy
Verb
They foxed me into telling the secret.
The problem had us foxed!
Recent Examples on the Web
Tyler Hicks, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2024
Additional animals were reported acting strange in the park in January, including foxes and raccoons, wildlife officials said.
—Helena Wegner, Sacramento Bee, 10 Apr. 2024
Three hours after Game and Fish reported the incident, the agency followed up and said the fox was located and euthanized.
—The Arizona Republic, 29 Mar. 2024
Diers recalls frequently seeing foxes, coyotes, and bobcats.
—Will McCarthy, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024
This hooded blanket from Hudson Baby comes in several animal options, including a fox and a moose.
—Phoebe Sklansky, Parents, 4 Apr. 2024
Baby goats, ducks, geese, deer, foxes, raccoons, opossums, skunks, pet cats and other animals have tested positive.
—Jen Christensen, CNN, 3 Apr. 2024
Lawsuits, questions about how to manage urban and suburban coyote populations are now part of the debate over the animal, a member of the dog family, like wolves and foxes.
—Jennifer Dixon, Detroit Free Press, 3 Apr. 2024
Grey herons, tawny owls, bats, seagulls, groundhogs, badgers, rabbits and even the occasional fox or boar from the suburbs have been treated at the hospital.
—Jess McHugh, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024
Liana Satenstein, Marie Claire, 13 Feb. 2014
Raines has a USDA license to exhibit and sell foxes, but does the latter only to fox sanctuaries, or people who have track records owning foxes, preferably with a license similar to hers.
—Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 3 May 2017
Noun
Now, on this February morning, the bears, deer, foxes and birds that once lived here undisturbed were nowhere to be seen.
—Tyler Hicks, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2024
Additional animals were reported acting strange in the park in January, including foxes and raccoons, wildlife officials said.
—Helena Wegner, Sacramento Bee, 10 Apr. 2024
Three hours after Game and Fish reported the incident, the agency followed up and said the fox was located and euthanized.
—The Arizona Republic, 29 Mar. 2024
Diers recalls frequently seeing foxes, coyotes, and bobcats.
—Will McCarthy, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024
This hooded blanket from Hudson Baby comes in several animal options, including a fox and a moose.
—Phoebe Sklansky, Parents, 4 Apr. 2024
Baby goats, ducks, geese, deer, foxes, raccoons, opossums, skunks, pet cats and other animals have tested positive.
—Jen Christensen, CNN, 3 Apr. 2024
Lawsuits, questions about how to manage urban and suburban coyote populations are now part of the debate over the animal, a member of the dog family, like wolves and foxes.
—Jennifer Dixon, Detroit Free Press, 3 Apr. 2024
Grey herons, tawny owls, bats, seagulls, groundhogs, badgers, rabbits and even the occasional fox or boar from the suburbs have been treated at the hospital.
—Jess McHugh, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024
Verb
Raccoon: Raccoon is very similar to fox but rarely comes in any other colors besides that of a typical raccoon which is naturally ombré.
—Liana Satenstein, Marie Claire, 13 Feb. 2014
Raines has a USDA license to exhibit and sell foxes, but does the latter only to fox sanctuaries, or people who have track records owning foxes, preferably with a license similar to hers.
—Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 3 May 2017
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fox.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near fox
Cite this Entry
“Fox.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fox. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
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Geographical Definition
Fox
geographical name
1
river 220 miles (354 kilometers) long in southeastern Wisconsin and northeastern Illinois flowing south into the Illinois River
2
river 175 miles (282 kilometers) long in eastern Wisconsin flowing northeast and north through Lake Winnebago into Green Bay
Biographical Definition
Fox
2 of 2biographical name (2)
George 1624–1691 English preacher and founder of Society of Friends
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