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
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Recent Examples of foul play
Authorities went on to say that there was no indication of foul play.
—
Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
Law enforcement officials do not suspect foul play in Naroditsky’s death.
—Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2026
But the county sheriff rejected the idea that there had been any foul play, instead suggesting that Lee had died in a car accident and that the lead bullets detected in his jaw were simply dental fillings.
—Clint Smith, The Atlantic, 19 Jan. 2026
Police believe the woman died of natural causes as there were no immediate signs of foul play, the Bullhead City Police Department said in a Facebook post.
—Wren Smetana, AZCentral.com, 17 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for foul play
Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
Law enforcement officials do not suspect foul play in Naroditsky’s death.
—Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2026
But the county sheriff rejected the idea that there had been any foul play, instead suggesting that Lee had died in a car accident and that the lead bullets detected in his jaw were simply dental fillings.
—Clint Smith, The Atlantic, 19 Jan. 2026
Police believe the woman died of natural causes as there were no immediate signs of foul play, the Bullhead City Police Department said in a Facebook post.
—Wren Smetana, AZCentral.com, 17 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for foul play
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foul play
Noun
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Join a pilgrimage to watch the first rainfall on Mars; trap yourself with a death monk in a locked-room murder mystery—or trap yourself with the Shelleys the summer that Mary got a lightning bolt of literary inspiration.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Feb. 2026
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Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old man charged with the murder of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk, will appear in a Provo, Utah, courtroom Tuesday as his attorneys resume their questioning of Utah County Attorney Jeffrey Gray, whose office is prosecuting the case.—
Andi Babineau,
CNN Money,
2 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The designation has since been renewed multiple times as the country faces a host of crises, including widespread violence by armed gangs, food insecurity, displacement and a leadership vacuum after the president was assassinated in 2021.—
Tami Luhby,
CNN Money,
1 Feb. 2026
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Less than lethal has been authorized due to the violence against officers.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The investigations into the homicides remain ongoing, and LASD has encouraged anyone with information on the incidents to contact its Homicide Bureau.—
Rachel Wolf,
FOXNews.com,
4 Feb. 2026
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The current inspector general, Felix Jimenez, is a former homicide detective, but supporters of the changes note that much of his office’s work focuses on the nuts-and-bolts of government spending, including contracts and purchases.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Testing is often done using a sample of blood to detect and quantify specific proteins.—
Michal Ruprecht,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
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The recent hospitalization comes nearly a year after he was hospitalized for coughing up blood and coming down with a fever in February 2025, TMZ previously reported.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The killing comes amid ongoing demonstrations across Iran, as anger continues to simmer over political repression, economic hardship and human rights abuses.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The image appears to show Ketter moving through a cloud of tear gas during a demonstration following the killing of Alex Pretti, which happened just minutes away from his store.—
Nick Lunemann,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Foul play.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foul%20play. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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