as in contaminated
Related Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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 fouled
David Brandt, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
Goodwin scored on a reverse layup and was fouled.
—Doug Haller, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026
Shamet was fouled on the play and missed the and-one free throw, but second-year backup big man Ariel Hukporti grabbed the offensive rebound to create a second shot opportunity.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 2 Apr. 2026
Ijadimbola was immediately fouled and made 1 of 2 free throws at the other end.
—Mike Cook, Twin Cities, 28 Mar. 2026
Ohio State is fouled three times, opts to shoot the foul shot and misses each time.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026
Then Mullins was fouled on a 3-pointer, Ross slammed down an emphatic two-handed dunk and Karaban blocked a shot at the other end, which lead to a technical foul on UCLA head coach Mick Cronin.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 23 Mar. 2026
Struggling himself, Stirtz missed again — his 11th miss in 16 attempts — but Florida sophomore reserve Isaiah Brown was fouled after securing the rebound with eights seconds remaining.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
Clemson was down by one point in the fourth quarter when Dunn was fouled while making a Euro step layup with 53 seconds left, then hit the ensuing foul shot to switch the advantage to 61-59 in the Trojans’ favor.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 21 Mar. 2026
CBS News, 11 Apr. 2026
The Celtics’ backup center allowed two makes at the rim by his counterpart, Mitchell Robinson, fouled Robinson on a lob and committed a turnover that led to a fast-break layup by Jordan Clarkson.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 10 Apr. 2026
The camera briefly returned to the actual game — the Giants’ Landen Roupp threw a pitch to Jorge Polanco, who fouled the ball off his foot — but the booth’s hearts were clearly in the stands.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2026
As the Giants’ Landen Roupp threw a pitch to the Mets’ Jorge Polanco — who fouled the ball off his foot — the camera kept cutting back to the mom.
—Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 6 Apr. 2026
The camera briefly pans back to the mound as the Giants’ Landen Roupp threw a pitch to Jorge Polanco, who fouled the ball off his foot.
—Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Apr. 2026
The camera cut away as the Giants’ Landen Roupp threw a pitch to New York Mets player Jorge Polanco, who fouled the ball off his foot.
—Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 6 Apr. 2026
Raleigh fell behind 0-2, fouled off six pitches with two strikes and connected on a 99 mph fastball low in the zone.
—ABC News, 6 Apr. 2026
The Longhorns again came within striking distance of the lead when Justice Carlton made a put-back jumper and was fouled by Betts for a three-point play opportunity.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
Phoenix bounced back to cut the deficit to 65-62 at the break after Green completed a four-point play — hitting a 3 while being fouled — with one second remaining.
—David Brandt, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
Goodwin scored on a reverse layup and was fouled.
—Doug Haller, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026
Shamet was fouled on the play and missed the and-one free throw, but second-year backup big man Ariel Hukporti grabbed the offensive rebound to create a second shot opportunity.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 2 Apr. 2026
Ijadimbola was immediately fouled and made 1 of 2 free throws at the other end.
—Mike Cook, Twin Cities, 28 Mar. 2026
Ohio State is fouled three times, opts to shoot the foul shot and misses each time.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026
Then Mullins was fouled on a 3-pointer, Ross slammed down an emphatic two-handed dunk and Karaban blocked a shot at the other end, which lead to a technical foul on UCLA head coach Mick Cronin.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 23 Mar. 2026
Struggling himself, Stirtz missed again — his 11th miss in 16 attempts — but Florida sophomore reserve Isaiah Brown was fouled after securing the rebound with eights seconds remaining.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
Clemson was down by one point in the fourth quarter when Dunn was fouled while making a Euro step layup with 53 seconds left, then hit the ensuing foul shot to switch the advantage to 61-59 in the Trojans’ favor.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 21 Mar. 2026
Verb
Springer fouled a ball off his foot in the third inning but completed his at bat, grounding out to third base.
—CBS News, 11 Apr. 2026
The Celtics’ backup center allowed two makes at the rim by his counterpart, Mitchell Robinson, fouled Robinson on a lob and committed a turnover that led to a fast-break layup by Jordan Clarkson.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 10 Apr. 2026
The camera briefly returned to the actual game — the Giants’ Landen Roupp threw a pitch to Jorge Polanco, who fouled the ball off his foot — but the booth’s hearts were clearly in the stands.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2026
As the Giants’ Landen Roupp threw a pitch to the Mets’ Jorge Polanco — who fouled the ball off his foot — the camera kept cutting back to the mom.
—Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 6 Apr. 2026
The camera briefly pans back to the mound as the Giants’ Landen Roupp threw a pitch to Jorge Polanco, who fouled the ball off his foot.
—Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Apr. 2026
The camera cut away as the Giants’ Landen Roupp threw a pitch to New York Mets player Jorge Polanco, who fouled the ball off his foot.
—Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 6 Apr. 2026
Raleigh fell behind 0-2, fouled off six pitches with two strikes and connected on a 99 mph fastball low in the zone.
—ABC News, 6 Apr. 2026
The Longhorns again came within striking distance of the lead when Justice Carlton made a put-back jumper and was fouled by Betts for a three-point play opportunity.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 4 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fouled
Adjective
-
Jovanni periodically while Daniels followed instructions on cleaning, handwashing and keeping Jovanni away from contaminated dirt.—
Chris Bowling,
ProPublica,
15 Apr. 2026
-
People most at risk of health issues from PFAS include young children, people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, those who live in contaminated areas, or people — like firefighters or chemical manufacturers — who are exposed to PFAS on the job.—
Sponsored Content,
Denver Post,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
One of them, Amy, a blond child with limp ponytails and a thin dress that looks like it might have been stained, stands outside a porch door, her fists balled up, mouth open, angry or unhappy or both.—
Vince Aletti,
New Yorker,
18 Apr. 2026
-
These areas are most productive on sunny days or when the water’s stained.—
Joe Cermele,
Outdoor Life,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The river has been polluted by pesticide and fertilizer runoff for years, and the mining water adds another burden, Deehan said.—
Paul Rogers,
Mercury News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Many of those natural springs have either stopped flowing, been cut off by development or been polluted.—
Ryan Brennan
April 9,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The series follows Sabrina (Ayres), who is humiliated and emotionally devastated after being betrayed by her boyfriend.—
Ed Meza,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Tiger Woods is reportedly reeling after his latest DUI arrest, humiliated by the fallout.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The body was so badly decomposed that the deceased’s gender could not be determined, said police.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Clements said the mistaken identification may have happened because the creature decomposed and lost its telltale shell before it was fossilized, complicating identification.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 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
-
Loss of valuables in the ruins The exteriors of some buildings remained blackened from the flames.—
Kanis Leung,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The exteriors of some buildings remained blackened from the flames, a reminder of the tragedy.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Weinstein’s lawyers have argued that his New York conviction last year was poisoned by bad blood among jurors.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Could Ty Jones, whose autopsy said the 33-year-old died of heart issues, have been poisoned too?—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fouled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fouled. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
