as in contrasts
something or someone that is different from another especially in a pleasing way
This cool, refreshing salad is the perfect foil for spicy foods.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
as in frustrates
to prevent from achieving a goal
in popular fiction the hero will always foil the villain's plans
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 foils
Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2025
Shu Qi has spent her career embodying other people’s stories — enigmatic drifters for Hou Hsiao-hsien, comic foils in international action franchises, or, more recently, the tragic heroine of Bi Gan’s Cannes award winner Resurrection.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2025
Ask for soft, subtle highlights where they’d naturally be placed by the sun; depending on your natural base color, a gloss treatment might be more effective than foils.
—Jeanne Ballion, Glamour, 11 Sep. 2025
Sisters, in particular, influence the thoughts, opinions and actions of many of Austen’s heroines, acting as confidantes or foils.
—Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
The two men make for natural foils.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2025
But the refocus on Bobby allows the show to use father and son as foils for each other.
—Jeremy Gordon, The Atlantic, 22 Aug. 2025
After getting cut, Duggar's hair was sectioned off so the stylist could place her hair in foils to pull out the highlights.
—Starr Bowenbank, People.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Ultrathin foils of carbon materials have been used for decades in proton therapy to filter particles into high-precision beams meant to kill tumors.
—IEEE Spectrum, 18 Aug. 2025
Jaeden Pinder, Pitchfork, 3 Oct. 2025
Noun
The Bennet daughters are at the center of the story, but readers also meet their friends, foils, and rivals.
—Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2025
Shu Qi has spent her career embodying other people’s stories — enigmatic drifters for Hou Hsiao-hsien, comic foils in international action franchises, or, more recently, the tragic heroine of Bi Gan’s Cannes award winner Resurrection.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2025
Ask for soft, subtle highlights where they’d naturally be placed by the sun; depending on your natural base color, a gloss treatment might be more effective than foils.
—Jeanne Ballion, Glamour, 11 Sep. 2025
Sisters, in particular, influence the thoughts, opinions and actions of many of Austen’s heroines, acting as confidantes or foils.
—Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
The two men make for natural foils.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2025
But the refocus on Bobby allows the show to use father and son as foils for each other.
—Jeremy Gordon, The Atlantic, 22 Aug. 2025
After getting cut, Duggar's hair was sectioned off so the stylist could place her hair in foils to pull out the highlights.
—Starr Bowenbank, People.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Ultrathin foils of carbon materials have been used for decades in proton therapy to filter particles into high-precision beams meant to kill tumors.
—IEEE Spectrum, 18 Aug. 2025
Verb
So give a warm welcome to The Life of a Showgirl, Swift’s 12th studio album, which foils The Tortured Poets Department in a few major ways.
—Jaeden Pinder, Pitchfork, 3 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foils
Verb
-
That doesn’t always come in the form of on-court minutes, which frustrates segments of the fan base.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
14 Oct. 2025
-
This inconsistency frustrates drivers and reduces their confidence in public charging networks, further slowing EV adoption.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
From minimalist gold styles to louder ones punctuated by pearls and diamonds, even the pickiest of fashion insiders can find a pair of huggie earrings that not only complements but enhances their favorite ‘fit.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Inclusive design, thoughtful regulation, and leadership from Black creators and coders are essential to ensure AI complements, instead of replaces, Black creatives and artists.—
Donnetta Monk,
Essence,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
May Improve Exercise Performance Although research is limited, pomegranate supplements may improve exercise performance by improving endurance and/or muscle recovery.—
Cristina Mutchler,
Verywell Health,
23 Oct. 2025
-
However, more research is needed to understand the long-term effects of collagen supplements on various conditions.—
Devineé Lingo,
Health,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Maintain a safe distance from large vehicles - Trucks or buses can produce a water spray that hampers visibility.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
22 Oct. 2025
-
What truly hampers Regretting You is its inescapable unoriginality, its plodding, uninventive, unthoughtful attempts at swoon and heartbreak.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Take the quiz here … DUGOUT SECRETS – Mysterious wooden canoe found after Hurricane Ian still baffles experts three years later.—
,
FOXNews.com,
8 Oct. 2025
-
One case that still baffles is the macabre story of Virginia McCullough, who killed her parents for their money – and then lived with their bodies for four years.—
KC Baker,
People.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
In these sparsely populated spaces, the mountain always defeats the human, instilling a deep respect for the environment.—
Callum McLennan,
Variety,
24 Oct. 2025
-
The Vigenère cipher ingeniously defeats straightforward frequency analysis because not all E’s, for example, will get mapped to the same letter.—
Jack Murtagh,
Scientific American,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Foils.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foils. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share