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
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He's tallied over 230 technical fouls and has been suspended six times, underscoring a pattern of on-court behavior that continues to draw attention from league officials. Ricardo Klein, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025 Green has been assessed a league-high five technical fouls this postseason and would have to serve a one-game suspension if the total reaches seven. Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2025 The officials finally got things settled down and issued technical fouls on Harden, Powell and Dunn as well as Gordon, Braun and Jokic. Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2025 Come down to it, Hurley got two technical fouls all season. Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 29 Mar. 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

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Cite this Entry

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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