foul play

noun

: violence
especially : murder

Examples of foul play in a Sentence

There is no evidence of foul play. the coroner ruled that there was no evidence of foul play
Recent Examples on the Web White said there were no signs of suicide or foul play. Rebecca Aizin, Peoplemag, 6 Mar. 2024 There was no indication of foul play, and detectives from the Criminal Investigations Division are investigating. Lauren Huff, EW.com, 5 Mar. 2024 Police don't suspect foul play, but are looking to find Watkins and notify his family as soon as possible. Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 2 Mar. 2024 Russian officials have dismissed claims of foul play, denied knowledge of a potential prisoner swap and insist Navalny died of natural causes. Robert Hart, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 There was another death on UGA's campus at a student dormitory on Feb. 21, but foul play was not suspected and it was not connected to the homicide case, UGA police said. Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 26 Feb. 2024 Mineral County Sheriff's Office Whether foul play contributed to Risku's death was still unclear. Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 21 Feb. 2024 Investigators also determined there had been foul play because of trauma to the body, police said. Kerry Breen, CBS News, 23 Feb. 2024 Gilmore said there were no signs of foul play and that an investigation into the death was underway. Rebecca Cohen, NBC News, 18 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'foul play.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1546, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of foul play was in 1546

Dictionary Entries Near foul play

Cite this Entry

“Foul play.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foul%20play. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

foul play

noun
: unfair dealing : dishonest conduct
especially : violence sense 1
a victim of foul play

More from Merriam-Webster on foul play

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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