as in frustrated
to prevent from achieving a goal
in popular fiction the hero will always foil the villain's plans
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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
The Dolphins’ final two possessions were foiled by four penalties, three sacks, a Tua Tagovailoa interception, multiple penalties, miscommunication and confusion.
—
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 14 Sep. 2025
My wife jokes about the cat having foiled our murder plot yet again.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
One researcher claimed authorities could have foiled the attack by unearthing connections between hijackers through public information in databases.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2025
But Hunter wasn’t able to reap the benefits of the machine before Wednesday foiled the plan.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foiled
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 14 Sep. 2025
My wife jokes about the cat having foiled our murder plot yet again.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
One researcher claimed authorities could have foiled the attack by unearthing connections between hijackers through public information in databases.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2025
But Hunter wasn’t able to reap the benefits of the machine before Wednesday foiled the plan.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foiled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foiled
Verb
-
That can impact on squad unity, with individuals frustrated by their lack of chances.—
Andy Mitten,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Smith’s next point is what ticked off Barkley, who was visibly frustrated at the desk.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Freddie's always stopped by the survivor girl; he's always thwarted by his young ingenue all the way through, who's losing her innocence and entering the world.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Then, hardware improvements gradually bring the execution time down, only to get thwarted again by the next benchmark.—
Dina Genkina,
IEEE Spectrum,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Hubbard has been somewhat hampered by injury this season, missing two of his team's eight games.—
Max Dible,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Just assessing the damage could take weeks, and airport closures have hampered recovery efforts.—
Matt Nighswander,
NBC news,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Played for comic relief, he is baffled by this son of his who attends college and, more perplexing yet, is suddenly obsessed with Italy and cycling.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Physicists were baffled as to why this material would suddenly stop conducting current once the tellurium content reached approximately 30 percent—a change that its basic chemical composition could not explain.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The Blue Jays nearly defeated the Dodgers in Game 6 on Friday night, but the valiant comeback attempt fell short in the ninth inning as Los Angeles was able to turn a game-ending double play.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
2 Nov. 2025
-
Spanberger then narrowly defeated Nick Frietas, a Republican member of the House of Delegates, in 2020 to be re-elected.—
Jonathan Limehouse,
USA Today,
2 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Foiled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foiled. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share