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
Between that suspension, a league suspension for accumulating too many technical fouls and a back injury, Reese missed the team's final four games.
—
Jack Maloney, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
James had a triple-double with 21 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists in a victory over Washington last week when Doncic was serving a one-game suspension for receiving his 16th technical foul this season.
—ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026
Clowney was then assessed another technical foul for arguing with an official and was ejected.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 4 Apr. 2026
Their sideline was handed a technical foul, meaning a second Spurs free throw.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for technical foul
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Jack Maloney, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
James had a triple-double with 21 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists in a victory over Washington last week when Doncic was serving a one-game suspension for receiving his 16th technical foul this season.
—ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026
Clowney was then assessed another technical foul for arguing with an official and was ejected.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 4 Apr. 2026
Their sideline was handed a technical foul, meaning a second Spurs free throw.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 4 Apr. 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 9 Apr. 2026.
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