foul play

noun

Definition of foul playnext
1
as in murder
the intentional and unlawful taking of another person's life the coroner ruled that there was no evidence of foul play

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in violence
the use of brute strength to cause harm to a person or property the suspect has a long history of foul play, and was once convicted on assault and battery charges

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 foul play The preliminary investigation did not indicate any signs of foul play. — Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026 Certainly, candidates have run against namesakes before, and have faced cries of foul play. — Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026 Investigators are working to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident, but foul play is not suspected, the release stated. — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Aug. 2026 Authorities found no signs of foul play, and his death was believed to be from natural causes, though an exact cause had not yet been officially confirmed. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for foul play
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foul play
  1. murder
  2. violence
  3. homicide
  4. blood
  5. killing
Noun
  • Their son Nick, 32, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder for allegedly stabbing the filmmaker and his wife to death.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Police had not seen him again until he and Gilson were found dead from apparent gunshot wounds to the head in what law enforcement officials believe was a murder-suicide.
    — Meriam Bouarrouj, NBC news, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of murder
Noun
  • Senior leadership from Pakistan and Turkey departed for Saudi Arabia this week, where they are expected to sign a trilateral defense deal as regional violence flares.
    — Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Health officials say the mistrust has also made contact tracing and early treatment more difficult, particularly in remote communities affected by rebel violence.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of violence
Noun
  • The series follows trainee Detective Eva Bennett, played by Dynevor, who returns to Manchester and joins a new homicide investigation run by her fearsome estranged mother – the legendary Detective Chief Inspector Lois Mercer, played by Morton.
    — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 4 Aug. 2026
  • After deliberating for just over an hour, the all-male, white, Protestant jury unanimously decided that 32-year-old spinster Borden didn’t commit a brazen daytime double homicide.
    — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of homicide
Noun
  • One small study found levels of QAC in household dust rose 62% during the pandemic while levels in human blood rose 77% in just one year.
    — Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
  • But at any age, get a checkup for symptoms such as blood in stool or rectal bleeding; changes in bowel habits such as diarrhea, constipation or narrowing of stool that lasts more than a few days; unintended weight loss; and cramps or abdominal pain.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of blood
Noun
  • The incident report lists two possible suspects in connection to the killing.
    — Maveah Griffith, Charlotte Observer, 31 July 2026
  • Officials say he previously was sentenced to life earlier this summer after pleading guilty to the 2024 killing of 23-year-old Anderson Adonay-Perdomo at a Chamblee gas station.
    — Dan Raby, CBS News, 31 July 2026
Definition of killing

Browse Nearby Words

foulness
foul play
fouls
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Foul play.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foul%20play. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on foul play

Nglish: Translation of foul play for Spanish Speakers

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