1
as in turbulent
marked by wet and windy conditions
the foul weather brought out the windbreakers and rain slickers as everyone braced for a day of rough sailing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unfair
not being in accordance with the rules or standards of what is fair in sport
an aggressive hockey player who is known for his foul play and readiness for a fight
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in disgusting
causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment
a foul taste that made us gag
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in obscene
depicting or referring to sexual matters in a way that is unacceptable in polite society
that movie features nonstop foul language
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in stinking
having an unpleasant smell
the foul fumes from the paper mill
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in filthy
not clean
I wouldn't play in the foul rainwater that's collected in the feeding trough
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to dirty
to make dirty
the mechanic fouled the bath towels with axle grease
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to pollute
to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable
industrial pollution fouling the water supply
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to humiliate
to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes
the minister was irreparably fouled by baseless rumors and allegations
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4
as in to rot
to go through decomposition
unless you want to smell the organic refuse as it fouls, locate the compost heap away from the house
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of foul
Staff, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2025
StudioCanal, which produces the Paddington movies, and Paddington Bear’s rights holders are suing Avalon after the British producer’s Spitting Image series on YouTube depicted Paddington as a foul-mouthed podcast host.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2025
Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2025
Jonathan Kuminga #00 of the Golden State Warriors goes up to shoot and gets fouled by Malik Monk #0 of the Sacramento Kings during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game at Chase Center on March 13, 2025 in San Francisco, California.
—Gabe Smallson, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foul
Adjective
Continue reading … FROM FOX SPORTS – Aaron Judge credited the spirits of former Yankees greats when the slugger was asked about how arguably one of the most important home runs of his career managed to avoid foul territory.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2025
StudioCanal, which produces the Paddington movies, and Paddington Bear’s rights holders are suing Avalon after the British producer’s Spitting Image series on YouTube depicted Paddington as a foul-mouthed podcast host.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2025
Verb
The electrolyzer’s design addresses fouling, current distribution, and thermal management, which are common failure points for electrochemical systems receiving heterogeneous feedstocks.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2025
Jonathan Kuminga #00 of the Golden State Warriors goes up to shoot and gets fouled by Malik Monk #0 of the Sacramento Kings during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game at Chase Center on March 13, 2025 in San Francisco, California.
—Gabe Smallson, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foul
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foul
Adjective
-
The Nintendo Switch era has been turbulent for the franchise, to put it mildly.—
Ryan Gaur,
Rolling Stone,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Now, in an increasingly turbulent world, those barriers are going back up.—
Gordon G. Chang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Even if most of these conditions are met, one or two unfair elements can strongly shape overall perceptions of fairness.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
12 Oct. 2025
-
Creativity is the last unfair advantage left.—
Erik Huberman,
Rolling Stone,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Add in moisture and soap scum, and kitchen sinks can get pretty disgusting.—
Halee Miller Van Ryswyk,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 Oct. 2025
-
In Johnston’s reimagining, Jim and Credenza Twit operate the most disgusting, dangerous, and idiotic amusement park in the world, Twitlandia.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
This culture is incredibly cruel, and things have gotten really obscene.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Oct. 2025
-
In 2009, former Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams was fined $250,000 for making an obscene gesture toward a Buffalo Bills fan.—
Cole Sullivan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Four plays, 76 yards, in 25 stinking seconds.—
David Aldridge,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
-
This is about a team with a top-10 payroll whose GM committed too stinking much of it to dogs that can’t, or won’t, pull the sled.—
Sean Keeler,
The Denver Post,
22 Dec. 2019
Adjective
-
For collaborating with British officers while on parole, he was transferred to solitary confinement in a filthy cell.—
Stacy Schiff,
The Atlantic,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Trying to expose the trafficking, abuse, and the filthy networks that protect the wealthy and powerful puts you in danger.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
At Dilara Findikoglu, models looked like ladies in waiting that had risen from the dead; wearing antiquated corsetry that was dirtied and torn.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
23 Sep. 2025
-
As more success suddenly comes his way, McKinstry has remained the same, friendly and chuckling at his locker, dirtying his jersey and pestering opponents on the field.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
10 July 2025
Verb
-
For instance, an injunction to stop a company from polluting a lake is premised on the idea that damage to a lake and the life in it is irreparable.—
Dan Bernstein,
Sportico.com,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Gas from Tehran fuels nearly a third of Iraq's electricity generation, yet frequent and prolonged outages remain common, forcing residents to rely on costly, polluting private generators.—
Emma Graham,
CNBC,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Foul.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foul. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
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