FOILED Synonyms: 60 Similar and Opposite Words

foiled

verb

Definition of foiled

past tense of foil

as in frustrated

to prevent from achieving a goal in popular fiction the hero will always foil the villain's plans

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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.

Recent Examples of foiled Those regulations for liquids in carry-ons stem from 2006, when British officials foiled a plot to bring liquid explosives on flights. — Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2026 Through 1964, Sylvester pursued Tweety in a variety of shorts that found the hungry cat continuously foiled by the crafty bird. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2026 About half were foiled or failed, but six people were killed. — Lorne Cook, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2026 Their schemes are foiled when real feelings enter the picture. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 24 Aug. 2026 Unfortunately, the start of World War I just 20 days before the eclipse foiled the expedition. — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 21 Aug. 2026 Though the plot was foiled, investigators say Haji Zada pledged loyalty to ISIS and indoctrinated her family with ISIS ideology. — Elise Spenner, ABC News, 30 July 2026 Bad weather foiled SpaceX's latest attempt to launch its massive Starship rocket from South Texas. — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 24 July 2026 In 2013, another designer, Sang Mun, released ZXX, a typeface with four fonts camouflaged with visual noise that foiled optical character recognition software while remaining visible to humans. — Leslie Katz, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for foiled

Verb

The same person asked the MPs to clarify for her how power is shared between the local and regional government, clearly frustrated about gaps and overlaps in governance that complicate the task at hand.

— Esther King, The Dial, 15 Sep. 2026
Tallman was cleaning dishes when Sanders approached him, clearly frustrated.

— Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of frustrated

Verb

Moran made three interceptions on Thursday — two in the end zone that thwarted Fremd drives and then one that set up the touchdown that put the Knights up by two scores.

— Mike McGraw, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026
As the years go by, babies are born, parents get sick and die, careers are started then ended, wives and husbands are thwarted, and, eventually, sheets are strewn and booties are tapped.

— Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of thwarted

Verb

The favorite was Lamar Jackson, who was later hampered by injuries and finished with a career-low rushing output.

— Hannah Vanbiber, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Poor air quality and limited visibility have also hampered firefighting efforts, carried out with equipment from Japan that arrived on Thursday.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of hampered

Verb

Some Broward commissioners said they are baffled as to why statewide prosecutors would be concerned about the county contracts or their desire to save money by cutting ties with the Sheriff’s Office.

— Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2026
Apple's stubborn insistence on keeping base iPhones at 60Hz while budget Android phones offer zippier refresh rates has always baffled me.

— Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of baffled

Verb

In 2022, Hoover defeated sitting legislator Ken Cooley by just 1 percentage point in a race that took days to call.

— Naomi Taxay, Sacbee.com, 20 Sep. 2026
The Rangers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 6-2 on Saturday night in Arlington, followed shortly by the completion of the Houston Astros’ 6-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves in Houston.

— Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of defeated

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“Foiled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foiled. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of foiled

verb

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