as in thwarting
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Dissimilar Words
as in deterrence
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Dissimilar Words
as in frustrating
to prevent from achieving a goal
in popular fiction the hero will always foil the villain's plans
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of foiling
Katie Lockhart, Travel + Leisure, 17 Oct. 2025
New Atlas, 21 Jan. 2026
It will be equipped with Enata’s proprietary foiling system—the same one that appeared on 32-foot predecessor Spirit, but with a few refinements.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 21 Nov. 2025
High-end jewelry brand Larkspur & Hawk is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a dazzling holiday campaign featuring the mother-daughter duo in over $18,500 worth of their jewels from the Palette collection, which is an ode to founder Emily Satloff's signature foiling.
—Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 11 Nov. 2025
Available in a limited series and priced at 480 euros, the navy unisex design crafted from leather comes with clean lines, a distinctive statement tongue flap with the Puma logo and the Jil Sander one rendered in golden foiling on the side.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2025
Instead of doom-scrolling and checking e-mails, spend your device-free days exploring the Cayman reefs, wind foiling, or horseback riding.
—Ronny Maye, Essence, 7 Aug. 2025
New Atlas, 21 Jan. 2026
Three years ago, Spain opened a foiling academy in Cadiz.
—Andrew Rice, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026
Nine years after foiling a lucrative weapons tradeoff and delivering Roper to Syrian captors, Pine has gone undercover again, eventually reuniting with foreign investigator Angela Burr (Colman) as an MI6 operative.
—Jake Kring-Schreifels, Time, 9 Jan. 2026
The Irvine Police Department (IPD) released footage showing what appears to be heavily armed officers foiling the brazen burglary as two suspects, dressed in black hoodies and face masks, attempted to flee with an armful of designer items.
—Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 7 Jan. 2026
The outfit also offers more low-key options like paddleboarding and e-foiling, plus half- and full-day excursions to popular snorkeling spots and the conch mounds.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 7 Jan. 2026
Saladita La Ventana specializes in everything from kiteboarding and wing foiling to parawinging and SUP.
—Jen Murphy, Outside, 7 Jan. 2026
Demonstrators formed a human barricade at the garage entrance and piled garbage bags to prevent vehicles from exiting, effectively foiling the apparent raid.
—Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Nov. 2025
The plotting becomes needlessly complicated at times, such as with Jack becoming a local hero after foiling a burglary, and later disgracing himself with a drunken tirade at a Christmas tree lighting ceremony, which leads to him being arrested and put on trial.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 24 Nov. 2025
Adjective
Snorkeling, fishing, e-foiling, jetskiing, and stand-up paddleboarding are also available.
—Katie Lockhart, Travel + Leisure, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
But as electric foiling becomes quieter, smoother, and more refined, the NAVI feels like a sign that this once-experimental tech is maturing – and carving out a more practical niche for itself on the water.
—New Atlas, 21 Jan. 2026
It will be equipped with Enata’s proprietary foiling system—the same one that appeared on 32-foot predecessor Spirit, but with a few refinements.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 21 Nov. 2025
High-end jewelry brand Larkspur & Hawk is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a dazzling holiday campaign featuring the mother-daughter duo in over $18,500 worth of their jewels from the Palette collection, which is an ode to founder Emily Satloff's signature foiling.
—Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 11 Nov. 2025
Available in a limited series and priced at 480 euros, the navy unisex design crafted from leather comes with clean lines, a distinctive statement tongue flap with the Puma logo and the Jil Sander one rendered in golden foiling on the side.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2025
Instead of doom-scrolling and checking e-mails, spend your device-free days exploring the Cayman reefs, wind foiling, or horseback riding.
—Ronny Maye, Essence, 7 Aug. 2025
Verb
Developed alongside the Mannerfelt Design Team, Awake's electric foiler uses a lightweight, rigid carbon composite hull to maintain stability while foiling.
—New Atlas, 21 Jan. 2026
Three years ago, Spain opened a foiling academy in Cadiz.
—Andrew Rice, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026
Nine years after foiling a lucrative weapons tradeoff and delivering Roper to Syrian captors, Pine has gone undercover again, eventually reuniting with foreign investigator Angela Burr (Colman) as an MI6 operative.
—Jake Kring-Schreifels, Time, 9 Jan. 2026
The Irvine Police Department (IPD) released footage showing what appears to be heavily armed officers foiling the brazen burglary as two suspects, dressed in black hoodies and face masks, attempted to flee with an armful of designer items.
—Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 7 Jan. 2026
The outfit also offers more low-key options like paddleboarding and e-foiling, plus half- and full-day excursions to popular snorkeling spots and the conch mounds.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 7 Jan. 2026
Saladita La Ventana specializes in everything from kiteboarding and wing foiling to parawinging and SUP.
—Jen Murphy, Outside, 7 Jan. 2026
Demonstrators formed a human barricade at the garage entrance and piled garbage bags to prevent vehicles from exiting, effectively foiling the apparent raid.
—Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Nov. 2025
The plotting becomes needlessly complicated at times, such as with Jack becoming a local hero after foiling a burglary, and later disgracing himself with a drunken tirade at a Christmas tree lighting ceremony, which leads to him being arrested and put on trial.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 24 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foiling
Verb
-
Mack and the Chargers’ defense pressured quarterbacks Jalen Hurts of the Eagles and Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs, frustrating them and keeping them out of their comfort zones.—
Elliott Teaford,
Oc Register,
20 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
In fact, looking at the film as an adult can feel a tad baffling, watching teens sweat and cry and emote over what feel like non-issues.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Tian's team explored several possible explanations for this baffling isotopic composition.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Continue reading … POWER PLAY — US raid in Venezuela signals deterrence to adversaries, experts say.—
,
FOXNews.com,
12 Jan. 2026
-
When California signals that even the most extreme acts of school violence may eventually be reconsidered and reduced, deterrence erodes — and schools become collateral damage in the process.—
Tracie Thill,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Justin was arguably United’s man of the match, personally thwarting Florian Wirtz with two last-gasp blocks in the first half as a wing-back, before proving equally dependable at centre-back in the latter stages.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
2 Jan. 2026
-
Askarov finished with 20 saves for the Sharks, including thwarting Quinn Hughes on an overtime breakaway.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
31 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
By partly neutralizing criticism that its leaders are elitist or antidemocratic, the right has been able to focus on issues that play to its strengths.—
Brian Winter,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Dec. 2025
-
Baking Soda As an alkaline compound, baking soda is skilled at neutralizing odors.—
Quincy Bulin,
Southern Living,
12 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Soko has developed specific products for this problem, including SuperCast, which completes the neutralization of the oxidizing agents, removes the residues and eliminates yellowing.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Researchers revealed that the high-voltage output facilitates the neutralization and collection of dust and moisture by generating negative ions.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The wintry blast, after hampering malls and stores Sunday, is making travel challenging Monday with roads still presenting treacherous conditions, coated by a mixture of frozen precipitation.—
Brian Womack,
Dallas Morning News,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Elon Musk warned the biggest issue hampering AI advancement in the United States is a problem Chinese competitors don’t have.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Keller The city posted on social media that with some exceptions like the low water crossing in Bear Creek Park, roads in Keller are open.—
Fousia Abdullahi,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Efforts to recover more became a sticking point after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tied the reopening of a border crossing in Gaza’s southernmost city, Rafah, to their return.—
Sam Metz,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Foiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foiling. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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