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.
The refs started handing out technical fouls like free samples, slapping Thomas and Hines-Allen with a double technical. Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 June 2026 None of the previous occasions resulted in Clark receiving a technical foul. Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 23 June 2026 Myisha Hines-Allen was ejected after picking up her second technical foul. ABC News, 22 June 2026 Her frustration boiled over late in the game, as she was twice called for technical fouls. Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 14 June 2026 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

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Cite this Entry

“Technical foul.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/technical%20foul. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.

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