as in contaminated
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in stained
to make dirty
the mechanic fouled the bath towels with axle grease
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in polluted
to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable
industrial pollution fouling the water supply
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in humiliated
to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes
the minister was irreparably fouled by baseless rumors and allegations
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in decomposed
to go through decomposition
unless you want to smell the organic refuse as it fouls, locate the compost heap away from the house
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fouled
Jon Root Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 May 2026
Connecticut had two chances on its next possession before Carleton secured the rebound and was fouled.
—ABC News, 18 May 2026
If players have the ball and are fouled, at least the foul is in the flow of the game!
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 13 May 2026
Villa are the most fouled team in the league, with Rogers the most fouled player.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 11 May 2026
Hachimura, who made all four of his three-point attempts in the first half, had a chance at a three on the Lakers’ first possession but instead passed to Ayton, who was fouled on the floor.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
True to form, on Friday night Richardson went 45-5, fouled and hit 48-8 before surpassing 49 feet on all of his last three jumps.
—Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
That was before Marcus Smart came up with a steal and got fouled attempting a 3-point shot; and before LeBron James poked the ball away from Rockets guard Reed Sheppard before getting the ball back to sink a game-tying 3-pointer with 13 seconds left.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 25 Apr. 2026
The Lakers led by 15 early, but were down six before Smart was fouled on a 3-point attempt with 25 seconds to go after a Houston turnover and made all three free throws.
—CBS News, 25 Apr. 2026
Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 23 May 2026
Buxton won a nine-pitch battle and fouled off four pitches, one of which was nearly caught in foul territory by Contreras on what would have been a fantastic play, before giving up the homer on a 2-2 cutter.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 23 May 2026
With two outs and one on, the Diamondbacks’ Ryan Waldschmidt fouled off an 0-1 four-seam fastball by Kilian as pinch-runner Jose Fernandez attempted to steal second base.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 20 May 2026
His seventh goal came after Morrison Agyemang was fouled by Osorio.
—ABC News, 16 May 2026
One night after catcher Francisco Alvarez tore his meniscus on a swing, Juan Soto fouled a pitch off the top of his foot during an at-bat in the third inning.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 14 May 2026
While not the safest handler in previous seasons, Sanchez has claimed corners quite well, often being fouled on the back of that by a player rushing into him or aiming to prevent him from kick-starting a counter-attack.
—Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 14 May 2026
Maryland lawmakers push the Air Force for answers about a fuel leak from Joint Base Andrews, not long after a separate sewage line break fouled the river.
—Dana Hedgpeth, Washington Post, 13 May 2026
Mitchell scored, was fouled by Smart and made the free throw for a three-point play and a 95-92 Thunder lead.
—Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
Adjective
No one falls in this year’s playoffs on non-fouled, fouled and all shots combined than SGA.
—Jon Root Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 May 2026
Connecticut had two chances on its next possession before Carleton secured the rebound and was fouled.
—ABC News, 18 May 2026
If players have the ball and are fouled, at least the foul is in the flow of the game!
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 13 May 2026
Villa are the most fouled team in the league, with Rogers the most fouled player.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 11 May 2026
Hachimura, who made all four of his three-point attempts in the first half, had a chance at a three on the Lakers’ first possession but instead passed to Ayton, who was fouled on the floor.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
True to form, on Friday night Richardson went 45-5, fouled and hit 48-8 before surpassing 49 feet on all of his last three jumps.
—Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
That was before Marcus Smart came up with a steal and got fouled attempting a 3-point shot; and before LeBron James poked the ball away from Rockets guard Reed Sheppard before getting the ball back to sink a game-tying 3-pointer with 13 seconds left.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 25 Apr. 2026
The Lakers led by 15 early, but were down six before Smart was fouled on a 3-point attempt with 25 seconds to go after a Houston turnover and made all three free throws.
—CBS News, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
Advincula fouled off four consecutive pitches before doubling.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 23 May 2026
Buxton won a nine-pitch battle and fouled off four pitches, one of which was nearly caught in foul territory by Contreras on what would have been a fantastic play, before giving up the homer on a 2-2 cutter.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 23 May 2026
With two outs and one on, the Diamondbacks’ Ryan Waldschmidt fouled off an 0-1 four-seam fastball by Kilian as pinch-runner Jose Fernandez attempted to steal second base.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 20 May 2026
His seventh goal came after Morrison Agyemang was fouled by Osorio.
—ABC News, 16 May 2026
One night after catcher Francisco Alvarez tore his meniscus on a swing, Juan Soto fouled a pitch off the top of his foot during an at-bat in the third inning.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 14 May 2026
While not the safest handler in previous seasons, Sanchez has claimed corners quite well, often being fouled on the back of that by a player rushing into him or aiming to prevent him from kick-starting a counter-attack.
—Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 14 May 2026
Maryland lawmakers push the Air Force for answers about a fuel leak from Joint Base Andrews, not long after a separate sewage line break fouled the river.
—Dana Hedgpeth, Washington Post, 13 May 2026
Mitchell scored, was fouled by Smart and made the free throw for a three-point play and a 95-92 Thunder lead.
—Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fouled
Adjective
-
Per Mayo Clinic, Salmonella is a bacterial disease that affects the intestinal tract and typically infects people through contaminated water or food.—
Chiara Kim,
PEOPLE,
7 May 2026
-
People can get sick after breathing in contaminated particles that get stirred into the air, especially while cleaning or spending time in places where rodents have been active, like sheds, garages, barns, cabins and storage areas.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Nobody can resist a saucy, savory sloppy joe, but you're bound to leave a sloppy joe meal with at least one article of clothing stained.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
22 May 2026
-
Next to it was marijuana wrapped in cellophane stained with peanut butter — items that were confiscated at San José Mineta International Airport.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
Testing by the University of Georgia that alerted the industry and state in 2008, when Bost was in her teens, showed the local Conasauga River that supplies the region’s drinking water was polluted.—
DYLAN JACKSON,
ABC News,
6 May 2026
-
That is exactly what this film cleverly does — pinpoints the insidious nature of far-right movements and the creeping rhetoric that has polluted our society.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
You can be humiliated, and won’t that be awful?—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
19 May 2026
-
Those who don’t get the job leave diminished, sometimes humiliated, and the institution absorbs the damage quietly for years.—
Paul Hardart,
Fortune,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
Biodegradable waste consists of organic materials, such as food scraps, vegetable peels, paper, leaves, and agricultural residues, that can be decomposed naturally through microbial processes.—
Aman Kumar,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
14 May 2026
-
Halleck adds coffee grounds need to be decomposed by microbes first to release nitrogen and other nutrients.—
Lauren David,
Southern Living,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
While Liang seeks to distance the company from the tainted elements, Supermicro’s longer-term fate may hinge on whether Nvidia stays close or decides to keep its distance.—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune,
6 Apr. 2026
-
The case has it all — backroom deals, bribes, tainted legislation, dark money contributions — even the suicide of a prominent official at the center of the scandal.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Sepsis had left his skin peeling and his body blackened, including parts of his fingers, ears, lips and lower legs.—
Gina Kalsi,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
-
Broil close to heat until blackened and blistered, 4 to 5 minutes per side.—
Rick Bayless,
Midwest Living,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Despite evidence that the two got along well enough, rumors spread in Vienna after Mozart’s death that Salieri had poisoned him.—
Michael Schulman,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
Two lethal mushroom species, the death cap (Amanita phalloides) and western destroying angel (Amanita ocreata), have poisoned at least 47 people and claimed four lives since mid-November, according to the California Department of Public Health.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fouled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fouled. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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