foreclosure
noun
fore·clo·sure
(ˌ)fȯr-ˈklō-zhər 
: an act or instance of foreclosing
specifically
: a legal proceeding that bars or extinguishes a mortgagor's right of redeeming a mortgaged estate
Examples of foreclosure in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The hotel’s upper floors are condominiums, which are privately owned and were not included in subsequent foreclosure sales.
—
Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 26 Feb. 2026
There is insight into other historical financial disasters (a scene involving the stock market crash of 1929 is particularly haunting), but not much mention of the impacts of Reaganomics in the 1980s, and the late 2000s dynamics of subprime mortgages and home foreclosures.
—David John Chávez, Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2026
In the Supreme Court Tuesday, the justices struggled mightily to figure out how such a small amount of delinquent tax money could have led to a foreclosure sale.
—Nina Totenberg, NPR, 25 Feb. 2026
Some of the rougher chapters of his life—the moments that might show up in opposition research — Brooks brings up himself, including two foreclosures while his ex-wife faced steep medical bills from hip deterioration.
—Julia Terruso, Time, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for foreclosure
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 26 Feb. 2026
There is insight into other historical financial disasters (a scene involving the stock market crash of 1929 is particularly haunting), but not much mention of the impacts of Reaganomics in the 1980s, and the late 2000s dynamics of subprime mortgages and home foreclosures.
—David John Chávez, Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2026
In the Supreme Court Tuesday, the justices struggled mightily to figure out how such a small amount of delinquent tax money could have led to a foreclosure sale.
—Nina Totenberg, NPR, 25 Feb. 2026
Some of the rougher chapters of his life—the moments that might show up in opposition research — Brooks brings up himself, including two foreclosures while his ex-wife faced steep medical bills from hip deterioration.
—Julia Terruso, Time, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for foreclosure
Cite this Entry
“Foreclosure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foreclosure. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
foreclosure
noun
fore·clos·ure
fōr-ˈklō-zhər
1
: a legal proceeding that bars or extinguishes a mortgagor's equity of redemption in mortgaged real property see also deficiency judgment at judgment, redeem, right of redemption, statutory foreclosure, strict foreclosure sense 1
2
: the extinguishment (as under the provisions of Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code) of the rights of a debtor in personal property subject to a security interest by judicial proceedings and especially by judicial sale see also strict foreclosure sense 2
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
