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 foulExamples of technical foul in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
And the Pelicans tucked themselves to sleep, fouling Brunson on a drive to the rim with just over a minute left in regulation, then conceding a technical foul, a sequence that put the Knicks up 118-111 in the waning moments of regulation.
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Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 25 Mar. 2026
Spoelstra was called for his first technical foul of the season for arguing a non-call on a Powell drive to the basket in the second quarter, and there was a quick exchange of heated words between Spoelstra and Adebayo when Spoelstra subbed out Adebayo in the second quarter.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 2026
Sunday evening, Barkley and the Rockets took the court for an exhibition game against the Orlando Magic, where he was ejected during the fourth quarter for a double technical foul.
—Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
Bitadze’s technical foul was also rescinded after the European players were arguing while Doncic was shooting free throws.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026
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Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 25 Mar. 2026
Spoelstra was called for his first technical foul of the season for arguing a non-call on a Powell drive to the basket in the second quarter, and there was a quick exchange of heated words between Spoelstra and Adebayo when Spoelstra subbed out Adebayo in the second quarter.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 2026
Sunday evening, Barkley and the Rockets took the court for an exhibition game against the Orlando Magic, where he was ejected during the fourth quarter for a double technical foul.
—Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
Bitadze’s technical foul was also rescinded after the European players were arguing while Doncic was shooting free throws.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for technical foul
Cite this Entry
“Technical foul.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/technical%20foul. Accessed 28 Mar. 2026.
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