personal foul

noun

: a foul in a game (such as basketball) involving usually physical contact with or deliberate roughing of an opponent compare technical foul

Examples of personal foul in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The takeaway came one play after the Cowboys’ drive was extended by a personal foul on Eagles safety Reed Blankenship on a third-and-22. The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025 Aided by a personal foul penalty against Red Oak on third down, Andrews connected with Smith on a 30-yard scoring strike, 45 seconds left before halftime. Mike Waters, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2025 The teams combined for more than 200 yards in penalties, some of them personal fouls and unsportsmanlike penalty infractions. Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 22 Aug. 2025 Both teams finished with 14 personal fouls in the game. Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for personal foul

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1829, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of personal foul was circa 1829

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Cite this Entry

“Personal foul.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/personal%20foul. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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