technical foul

noun

basketball
: a foul that is assessed to a player, coach, or team typically for unsportsmanlike conduct (such as arguing with an official or taunting an opponent) and does not usually involve physical contact with an opponent while the ball is in play

called also technical

compare personal foul

Examples of technical foul in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Reeve received her second technical foul in the final minute of the Lynx’s 84-76 defeat. Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 27 Sep. 2025 The frustration boiled over early in the fourth quarter with Nakase receiving a technical foul for arguing with officials when Rupert was called for a shooting foul on Alanna Smith. Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 15 Sep. 2025 Chicago couldn’t discipline her for the Sky’s next game against the Indiana Fever because Reese has already been suspended for that contest due to technical foul accumulation. Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025 The team announced the suspension in a statement less than two hours before tipoff of Friday’s road game against the Indiana Fever, for which Reese already was suspended because of an accumulation of technical fouls. Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for technical foul

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of technical foul was in 1896

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Technical foul.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/technical%20foul. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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