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
CBS News, 14 May 2024
Everyone quashed the latter, not wanting a for-profit fox in the non-profit hen house.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 May 2024
The land immerses visitors in the titular place populated by animals in the 2016 film, with attractions that include Zootopia: Hot Pursuit, where guests can join the rabbit Judy and the fox Nick on a chase in one of their police cruisers.
—Michael Salerno, The Arizona Republic, 9 May 2024
Reports emerged earlier this year of animals — including foxes, raccoons and a bobcat — acting oddly in the park, McClatchy News reported.
—Brooke Baitinger, Sacramento Bee, 2 May 2024
In the last few years, H5N1 has spread from wild birds to a variety of carnivorous mammals, including foxes, bears, and seals, but in each of those instances, the virus has hit a dead end.
—Megan Molteni, STAT, 2 May 2024
One good option is substances that come from coyotes, lynxes, foxes, and other predators.
—Byphie Jacobs, science.org, 27 Mar. 2024
Rabies is mostly found in wild animals like bats, raccoons, skunks and foxes, at least in the U.S. Dogs in other countries still carry rabies, with most rabies deaths in the world caused by dog bites, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
—Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 3 May 2024
Is their new servant a simple young woman from the north or a fox spirit bent on her own revenge?
—Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 1 May 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
Her father was a fox farmer, her mother a teacher and the family's fortunes shifted between middle class and working poor, giving the future author a special sensitivity to money and class.
—CBS News, 14 May 2024
Everyone quashed the latter, not wanting a for-profit fox in the non-profit hen house.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 May 2024
The land immerses visitors in the titular place populated by animals in the 2016 film, with attractions that include Zootopia: Hot Pursuit, where guests can join the rabbit Judy and the fox Nick on a chase in one of their police cruisers.
—Michael Salerno, The Arizona Republic, 9 May 2024
Reports emerged earlier this year of animals — including foxes, raccoons and a bobcat — acting oddly in the park, McClatchy News reported.
—Brooke Baitinger, Sacramento Bee, 2 May 2024
In the last few years, H5N1 has spread from wild birds to a variety of carnivorous mammals, including foxes, bears, and seals, but in each of those instances, the virus has hit a dead end.
—Megan Molteni, STAT, 2 May 2024
One good option is substances that come from coyotes, lynxes, foxes, and other predators.
—Byphie Jacobs, science.org, 27 Mar. 2024
Rabies is mostly found in wild animals like bats, raccoons, skunks and foxes, at least in the U.S. Dogs in other countries still carry rabies, with most rabies deaths in the world caused by dog bites, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
—Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 3 May 2024
Is their new servant a simple young woman from the north or a fox spirit bent on her own revenge?
—Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 1 May 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 20 May. 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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