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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of foiled
Then in 2022, Iran paid two members of an Eastern European criminal syndicate to kill the Iranian dissident and journalist Masih Alinejad at her home in Brooklyn; this attack was also foiled.
—
Colin P. Clarke, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 2026
The other three, one in Clinton, and two in Kenosha, were foiled.
—Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 5 Mar. 2026
The plan is foiled by Queen Esther and her cousin Mordechai.
—ABC News, 2 Mar. 2026
However, Paxton has struggled to enforce the Texas court’s ruling against the out-of-state doctor, foiled so far by New York’s shield law.
—Emily Brindley
health Reporter, Dallas Morning News, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for foiled
Colin P. Clarke, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 2026
The other three, one in Clinton, and two in Kenosha, were foiled.
—Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 5 Mar. 2026
The plan is foiled by Queen Esther and her cousin Mordechai.
—ABC News, 2 Mar. 2026
However, Paxton has struggled to enforce the Texas court’s ruling against the out-of-state doctor, foiled so far by New York’s shield law.
—Emily Brindley
health Reporter, Dallas Morning News, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for foiled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foiled
Verb
-
Just like the no-keyboard iPhone, the announcement initially frustrated some users .—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
10 Apr. 2026
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Leo’s reserve frustrated those who wanted to enlist the first American pope as the primary antagonist to the American president.—
Francis X. Rocca,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In an arrest affidavit, investigators said Victor Lee Hawkins, 20, armed with two semiautomatic handguns, walked into the lobby of the school that afternoon, told everyone to hit the ground and tried to shoot one student but was thwarted by a malfunctioning weapon.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
15 Apr. 2026
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The plot revolves around the evil Dark Helmet (Moranis) and President Skroob (Brooks), who attempt to steal the atmosphere of the peaceful planet Druidia, only to be thwarted by the hero Lone Starr (Pullman), his sidekick Barf (John Candy), and the Druish princess Vespa (Zuniga).—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Drone strikes and other attacks have hampered operations at energy ports in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and other nations, the Journal said.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
8 Apr. 2026
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Sandboxing allows firms to focus solely on moving experiments swiftly through the pilot phase because the teams working on them are not hampered by juggling experimentation with their day-to-day.—
Francesca Cassidy,
Fortune,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Government officials, who had already introduced measures to ease the burden of price rises a few weeks ago, were baffled over the rationale behind the protests because the global price spike is due to the Middle East conflict that restricted oil exports.—
Brian Melley,
Fortune,
13 Apr. 2026
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Government officials, who had already introduced measures to ease the burden of price increases two weeks ago, have been baffled over the rationale behind the protests because the global price spike is due to the conflict in the Mideast that has restricted oil exports.—
Brian Melley,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Bennedict Mathurin had 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists off the bench, and the Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Golden State Warriors 115-110 on Sunday to set up a rematch in the play-in tournament.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
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Cologne eased its Bundesliga relegation worries on Sunday, Stuttgart took another step toward Champions League qualification and Freiburg defeated Mainz 1-0 away in a duel between European contenders.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Foiled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foiled. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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