foreplay

noun

fore·​play ˈfȯr-ˌplā 

1

: erotic stimulation preceding sexual intercourse

2

: action or behavior that precedes an event

Examples of foreplay in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And the undoing of the normative tropes of, like, Sex is this act that starts with foreplay and ends with the male climax! — Rachel Handler, Vulture, 14 May 2026

What instantly kills mood during foreplay? — Sean Joseph Outkick, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2026

And, no doubt, women in the original 1920s audience presumably had comparable lustful desires as the pair on stage; this was hardly the only Coward comedy of its era to be used for foreplay. — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026

This was hardly the only Coward comedy of its era to be used for foreplay. — Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 20 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1929, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for foreplay

• aaa
• alleyway
• alumnae
• anime
• anyway
• arete
• attache
• axillae
• baa
• beaujolais
• bouvier
• breakaway

Medical Definition

foreplay

noun

fore·​play -ˌplā 

: erotic stimulation preceding sexual intercourse