1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

forfeits 1 of 2

noun

plural of forfeit
as in penalties
a sum of money to be paid as a punishment the forfeit for each baseball player involved in the brawl was $5,000

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

forfeits

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of forfeit
1
as in waives

Related Words

Dissimilar Words
2
as in loses

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 forfeits
Noun
The ruling marked only the sixth time in GHSA history that the association has handed down double-forfeits in football, according to the Georgia High School Football Historians Association. — Todd Holcomb, AJC.com, 3 Sep. 2026 His reasoning is about what a creator forfeits by taking money early. — Maureen Kerr, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 After narrowly missing out on advancing to the main tournament, Wales was chosen in a draw for a qualifier playoff against Israel, which had faced forfeits from multiple teams, including Turkey, Indonesia, and Egypt, because of geopolitical tensions at the time amid Arab-Israeli conflicts. — Tushaar Kuthiala, Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 June 2026 Due to those forfeits, the GHS baseball team does not qualify for the postseason, and our season is over. — Doug Myers, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2026 In addition to having a 2025 season with championship potential end with a 33-4 record and a pair of forfeits due to an ineligible player, the Eagles graduated a plethora of seniors who had led them to 65 wins in two seasons. — Rick Mauch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Mar. 2026 San Diego Section Commissioner Joe Heinz confirmed the forfeits, saying the section Division 2 championship would be vacated. — John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Mar. 2026 Six teams were removed from the playoffs via forfeits for having ineligible players who broke CIF rule 600 by playing in an outside competition during their season. — Eric Sondheimer columnist follow, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2026 What followed was a series of forfeits by opposing teams. — Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 14 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forfeits
  1. penalties
  2. waives
  3. loses
  4. fines
  5. commits
  6. damages
  7. forfeitures
Noun
  • The Future of Football The NFL has introduced stricter concussion protocols, penalties for high-risk tackles, as well as better gear and cutting full-contact practice to once a week.
    — Alexandra Pattillo, Scientific American, 23 Sep. 2026
  • United, which operates a major hub at Newark, issued one following Monday’s disruptions, and other carriers have allowed some travelers to change flights without the usual penalties.
    — Bailey Berg, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of penalties
Verb
  • Under that program, the NYPA buys electricity on the wholesale market on Lake Mariner’s behalf—a blend of hydro, nuclear, natural gas, wind, and solar—and waives delivery surcharges in exchange.
    — Petala Ironcloud, ArsTechnica, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Fanatics Collect is attempting to up the ante for sellers by launching FanCash payouts for customers, which waives transaction fees from anywhere between six and 12 percent that typically accompanies any sale.
    — Larry Holder, New York Times, 31 July 2026
Definition of waives
Verb
  • New characters are introduced, many interesting details are offered, yet the narration never loses its focus, every sentence adding to the characters’ mounting sense of powerlessness in the face of such a tragic death.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The vision of a puppet bird in flight loses a lot of its beauty when there’s a stage full of people milling about under it.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of loses
Noun
  • The first two counts also carry potential fines of up to $250,000 each, while the third carries a maximum $100,000 fine.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Subsequent violations can result in fines of up to $1,000 and up to six months in jail.
    — Noah Daly, Idaho Statesman, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of fines
Verb
  • But their primitive way of living reveals itself to rather more devastating effect when their third child is born, and Inger commits an act of unthinkable desperation.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The memorandum commits the parties to cooperation on economic policy, renewable energy and rebuilding ties with the European Union, among other areas.
    — Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of commits
Noun
  • According to the filing, the landlord is seeking to take back the space and may pursue additional damages, CBJ reported.
    — Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Gomez said the school board hired a consultant on a $50,000 contract to assess damages but hasn’t received a report yet.
    — Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of damages
Noun
  • The figure includes money recovered through criminal and civil cases, including penalties, settlements, restitution, asset forfeitures and losses alleged in pending cases, according to the task force.
    — Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 14 July 2026
  • Cortez Masto is a co-sponsor of the retail crime legislation, which allows more criminal forfeitures and interstate prosecution of retail crime, while also enhancing money laundering crackdowns.
    — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 28 May 2026
Definition of forfeitures

Browse Nearby Words

forfeiting
forfeits
forfeiture
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Forfeits.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forfeits. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 25
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of the words cracker fly and sale arranged in a triangle with the word fire in the middle
Triple Play Quiz Find the word that pairs with each of the three g...
See All