as in contaminated
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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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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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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fouled
Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2026
The Warriors were up three with about 30 seconds left in overtime when Kevin Durant was fouled on a 3-point attempt and made the first two before a miss.
—ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026
Pringle had nine points, five rebounds and two blocks in the first half as Flower Mound took a 28-17 lead into halftime, and a signature moment came in the second quarter when Pringle drove hard to the basket, scored on a layup and was fouled.
—Greg Riddle, Dallas Morning News, 3 Mar. 2026
Cunningham’s backup, Daniss Jenkins, was fouled on a desperate heave with four seconds remaining, and hit three free throws to tie the game.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
Giarusso was fouled on the Saints’ following possession and made both free throws to move the Crean Lutheran lead to 57-52 with 47 seconds remaining.
—Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 1 Mar. 2026
Sierra Canyon senior forward Brannon Martinsen secured the rebound and was fouled.
—Dan Rios, Daily News, 1 Mar. 2026
Hood was fouled and added a free throw for the final margin.
—Pioneer Press, Twin Cities, 26 Feb. 2026
Karlo Matkovic followed with a corner 3 and three free throws after being fouled on another deep shot.
—CBS News, 22 Feb. 2026
ABC News, 7 Mar. 2026
But Florida caught a break when officials missed guard Urban Klavzar stepping out of bounds while passing to Boogie Fland (who Kentucky subsequently fouled).
—Noah White, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2026
Stephon Castle was fouled, made the first free throw, missed the second but grabbed the rebound and finished off the Clippers with a layup with one second remaining.
—Oc Register, 7 Mar. 2026
But Brown fouled Pope on a 3-point attempt, and Pope made all three free throws to tie the game and send it to overtime.
—Dallas Morning News, 7 Mar. 2026
Senga fell behind 1-2, but threw two tough pitches right in the zone that Wetherholt fouled off to work the count even.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2026
However, Mackinnon was fouled by Griffin with 12 seconds left, hitting both shots to tie the game.
—Tony Catalina, Austin American Statesman, 7 Mar. 2026
Official Dedrick Taylor called the technical foul on Dončić after a no-call when Dončić thought Denver’s Bruce Brown fouled him.
—Dan Woike, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Out of a timeout, Bittle caught a lob pass in the lane before getting fouled by Baker-Mazara — his fifth — and made the game's final points.
—CBS News, 22 Feb. 2026
Adjective
After the Clippers turned it over, the Spurs’ Julian Champagnie was fouled and missed both free throws, but San Antonio got the rebound.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2026
The Warriors were up three with about 30 seconds left in overtime when Kevin Durant was fouled on a 3-point attempt and made the first two before a miss.
—ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026
Pringle had nine points, five rebounds and two blocks in the first half as Flower Mound took a 28-17 lead into halftime, and a signature moment came in the second quarter when Pringle drove hard to the basket, scored on a layup and was fouled.
—Greg Riddle, Dallas Morning News, 3 Mar. 2026
Cunningham’s backup, Daniss Jenkins, was fouled on a desperate heave with four seconds remaining, and hit three free throws to tie the game.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
Giarusso was fouled on the Saints’ following possession and made both free throws to move the Crean Lutheran lead to 57-52 with 47 seconds remaining.
—Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 1 Mar. 2026
Sierra Canyon senior forward Brannon Martinsen secured the rebound and was fouled.
—Dan Rios, Daily News, 1 Mar. 2026
Hood was fouled and added a free throw for the final margin.
—Pioneer Press, Twin Cities, 26 Feb. 2026
Karlo Matkovic followed with a corner 3 and three free throws after being fouled on another deep shot.
—CBS News, 22 Feb. 2026
Verb
Marquette’s Chase Ross won the battle for the loose ball and got fouled with one second left.
—ABC News, 7 Mar. 2026
But Florida caught a break when officials missed guard Urban Klavzar stepping out of bounds while passing to Boogie Fland (who Kentucky subsequently fouled).
—Noah White, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2026
Stephon Castle was fouled, made the first free throw, missed the second but grabbed the rebound and finished off the Clippers with a layup with one second remaining.
—Oc Register, 7 Mar. 2026
But Brown fouled Pope on a 3-point attempt, and Pope made all three free throws to tie the game and send it to overtime.
—Dallas Morning News, 7 Mar. 2026
Senga fell behind 1-2, but threw two tough pitches right in the zone that Wetherholt fouled off to work the count even.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2026
However, Mackinnon was fouled by Griffin with 12 seconds left, hitting both shots to tie the game.
—Tony Catalina, Austin American Statesman, 7 Mar. 2026
Official Dedrick Taylor called the technical foul on Dončić after a no-call when Dončić thought Denver’s Bruce Brown fouled him.
—Dan Woike, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Out of a timeout, Bittle caught a lob pass in the lane before getting fouled by Baker-Mazara — his fifth — and made the game's final points.
—CBS News, 22 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fouled
Adjective
-
If exposed, find fresh air, rinse your eyes with room-temperature water for 10 to 15 minutes, remove contaminated clothing, and wash your body with soap and water.—
Mark Gurarie,
Verywell Health,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Mercury exposure in humans, which can affect the brain, cardiovascular and nervous systems, often occurs through consumption of contaminated fish and shellfish.—
Connor Giffin,
Louisville Courier Journal,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Worn Clothing Do not fill your dresser drawers with garments that have seen better days to the point that they're torn or stained.—
Sarah Lyon,
Southern Living,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Set in a landscape stained by red clay and bad blood, villainy is commonplace.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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If our aquifer becomes massively polluted by cows, the clean water our rural communities and springs rely upon would be put at risk.—
Harper West,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Many of those springs have either stopped flowing, been cut off by development or been polluted.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Iran’s two major adversaries have thoroughly humiliated it; the regime was not able to hide its reclusive leader for even a few hours.—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Most casual fans could spend their entire lives studying a library’s worth of chess theory, only to still be routinely humiliated by competitive players.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In both cases, the remains were decomposed, and appeared that they may have been moved around multiple locations before being discovered, authorities said.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
4 Mar. 2026
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As water conservation is a priority more than ever, homeowners are discovering sustainable hardscaping options like gravel and decomposed granite.—
Lee Wallender,
The Spruce,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Corruption scandals have brought down several people in Zelensky’s inner circle, including his former business partner Timur Mindich and his long-time right-hand man Andriy Yermak, leading some observers to question whether Zelensky had a tendency to over-rely on tainted allies.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Chinese officials blamed the tainted test results on chemically altered food the athletes had consumed at the time.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Once a sky-blue democracy is restored, may Trump’s days of infamy be ruled illegitimate and his name and legacy duly tainted by all of history, darkly blackened or cautiously reddened in the honest records that this twerp and his twisted cohorts have conspired so heinously to whitewash.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
8 Mar. 2026
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After Mitchell’s arrest, the sheriff’s department released a photo of him, handcuffed, his face still blackened.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Other witnesses could include relatives of the defendant and her late husband, and friends of Eric Richins who have recounted phone conversations from the day prosecutors say he was first poisoned by his wife of nine years.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Feb. 2026
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Turns out, Chris lied about touching a stone mid-play and has quietly poisoned every victory and memory the team has enjoyed since.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fouled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fouled. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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