as in inflicting
to offer (something fake, useless, or inferior) as genuine, useful, or valuable
shopkeepers who foist shoddy souvenirs on unsuspecting tourists
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Recent Examples of foisting
No foisting me on another mother too overwhelmed to notice.
—
Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
In the vein of each family dwelling, the village courtroom becomes an amphitheater of sorts, foisting upon its participants a sense of outward performance, while simultaneously exposing them to the elements.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 12 Apr. 2026
This quite plainly is a group of adult activists foisting their political causes onto the next generation, defining students in their own image, and asking them to carry these burdens for them.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
The suit, filed in late December by the New Mexico attorney general’s office, is the latest salvo in the state’s fight against oil and gas executives accused of foisting old wells onto the public.
—Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 22 Jan. 2026
Thirsty attendees jostled through the rooms, foisting their shoulders through a sea of supplicants, holding out their glasses for a few precious drops of carbonic Trousseau, or Xarel-lo pet-nat, or ramato Pinot Gris, or whole-cluster Marquette.
—Senior Wine Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 Mar. 2018
Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
In the vein of each family dwelling, the village courtroom becomes an amphitheater of sorts, foisting upon its participants a sense of outward performance, while simultaneously exposing them to the elements.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 12 Apr. 2026
This quite plainly is a group of adult activists foisting their political causes onto the next generation, defining students in their own image, and asking them to carry these burdens for them.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
The suit, filed in late December by the New Mexico attorney general’s office, is the latest salvo in the state’s fight against oil and gas executives accused of foisting old wells onto the public.
—Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 22 Jan. 2026
Thirsty attendees jostled through the rooms, foisting their shoulders through a sea of supplicants, holding out their glasses for a few precious drops of carbonic Trousseau, or Xarel-lo pet-nat, or ramato Pinot Gris, or whole-cluster Marquette.
—Senior Wine Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 Mar. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foisting
Verb
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Sacramento police had arrested Adger on suspicion of battery, resisting or obstructing a peace officer, and inflicting undue suffering or pain on a dependent.—
Darrell Smith
May 1,
Sacbee.com,
1 May 2026
-
His current preferred strategy, though, is inflicting maximum economic pain, sources familiar with the talks told CNN.—
Nic Robertson,
CNN Money,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Kim, who took power in 1946, reframed Christianity as a symptom of American imperialism and repurposed its rituals with himself at the center, instituting requirements for ideological activities and imposing harsh punishments on those who failed to show sufficient devotion.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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The Wekiva River Parkway and Protection Act of 2004 authorized construction of a beltway around Central Florida, also known as State Road 429, while imposing strict protections for the environmentally fragile Wekiva River basin.—
Stephen Hudak,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
One could be forgiven, these days, for wishing that the United States were a little less central in world affairs.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
I'mPhaedra Trethan, a Phillies fan wishing godspeed to beloved longtime Yankees announcer John Sterling.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Foisting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foisting. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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