1
as in murder
the intentional and unlawful taking of another person's life
the coroner ruled that there was no evidence of foul play
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in violence
the use of brute strength to cause harm to a person or property
the suspect has a long history of foul play, and was once convicted on assault and battery charges
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of foul play
The son told the Times there were no signs of foul play or mechanical failure.
—
The Sacramento Bee,
Sacbee.com,
19 June 2026
Investigators do not suspect foul play, and the vehicle, which had plenty of gas, showed no signs of mechanical failure.
—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
19 June 2026
The child's death remained under investigation on Friday, but police said foul play is not suspected.
—
Todd Feurer,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
Although a cause of death was not confirmed, police do not suspect any foul play as of this writing.
—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for foul play
The Sacramento Bee,
Sacbee.com,
19 June 2026
Investigators do not suspect foul play, and the vehicle, which had plenty of gas, showed no signs of mechanical failure.
—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
19 June 2026
The child's death remained under investigation on Friday, but police said foul play is not suspected.
—
Todd Feurer,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
Although a cause of death was not confirmed, police do not suspect any foul play as of this writing.
—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for foul play
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foul play
Noun
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Separate from the murder case, Murdaugh pleaded guilty to dozens of financial crimes and remains behind bars on concurrent state and federal sentences of 27 and 40 years.
-
Armand gives a recap of the events leading up to and following the Trial of season two, saying that Lestat retreated to Magnus’s tower for the latter half of the 20th century, and never reached out to Louis to expose the truth about Armand orchestrating Claudia’s murder.
Noun
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One Haitian man who left the country in 2023, speaking on condition of anonymity, described a reality of constant violence and instability.
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The film has been effectively banned in Boll’s native Germany, due to depictions of extreme violence and seemingly anti-immigrant message, according to The Telegraph.
Noun
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Police said there were no signs of trauma or foul play and homicide detectives are investigating.
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Pino faced charges of manslaughter and vessel homicide in connection with the crash, which killed 17-year-old Lucy Fernandez.
Noun
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Sensipar, which is also sold under the generic name cinacalcet hydrochloride, is prescribed to patients with chronic kidney disease and high levels of calcium in the blood related to parathyroid gland conditions, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
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The next day, the chef woke up experiencing severe and intense blood loss.
Noun
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The killing of the Montreal police officer is the first death in the line of duty in the city in decades, Dagher said.
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About a week after Kirk’s killing, Benjamin observed a minute of silence in his honor at the end of an assembly, which was followed by an invitation to gather at a flagpole and pray.
Cite this Entry
“Foul play.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foul%20play. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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