fouling

verb

Definition of foulingnext
present participle of foul
1
as in staining
to make dirty the mechanic fouled the bath towels with axle grease

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in polluting
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 humiliating
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 decomposing
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

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 fouling Machado, on the other hand, remained in the game after fouling a ball off his toe in the third inning and collapsing in pain at the plate. — Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 July 2026 The rule keeps teams from fouling in the backcourt to stop a fast break, and a penalty awards the offense one free throw and possession. — Zach Powell, New York Times, 2 July 2026 Forward Folarin Balogun was given a controversial red card in the 64th minute after fouling Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Tarik Muharemovic. — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 2 July 2026 The Phillies loaded the bases with two outs in the second, and after fouling off several Chandler pitches, Crawford took another late swipe and managed to hit one down the third base line off the end of the bat. — CBS News, 1 July 2026 Joe Mazzulla resorted to fouling the big man with the hopes that Tom Thibodeau would take him out of the game. — Tom Rende, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 Second baseman Luis Arraez was out of the starting lineup for a second straight game after fouling a ball off his foot on Tuesday. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 25 June 2026 The injury stems from taking awkward swings and fouling off baseballs. — Kansas City Star, 23 June 2026 Chisholm was removed from the Bombers’ 5-1 loss in the fourth inning after fouling off a knuckle-curve from Chicago’s Sean Burke. — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 19 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fouling
  1. staining
  2. polluting
  3. humiliating
  4. decomposing
  5. blackening
  6. poisoning
  7. discrediting
  8. disintegrating
Verb
  • It’s formulated to hold up during outdoor activities without staining your clothes or running into your eyes.
    — Sara Coughlin, Allure, 9 July 2026
  • Wipe your stovetop and the front of the stove every day to minimize buildup and prevent staining.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 9 July 2026
Definition of staining
Verb
  • The solution is to support federal and state legislation that encourages lower-cost, less-polluting renewable energy to speed up the transition away from environmentally damaging fossil fuels.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 29 June 2026
  • Plastics degrade into microplastics, which in humans have been linked to cancer, reproductive problems, and other health issues, and which are polluting ecosystems from coral reefs to Antarctica.
    — Veronique Greenwood, Time, 26 June 2026
Definition of polluting
Verb
  • Instead of demanding personal fealty or humiliating them to assert personal dominance, Lincoln absorbed their egos and occasional slights, elevating their talents and turning his fiercest political adversaries into his most devoted champions.
    — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 24 June 2026
  • The autocrat delights in humiliating so many people, not least tech billionaires, including Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg, who once opposed him.
    — David Remnick, New Yorker, 23 June 2026
Definition of humiliating
Verb
  • In the mornings, our counselors still walk, slowly now, through the stench of bodies decomposing under the ruins of schools, mosques, and homes.
    — James Gordon, Time, 14 July 2026
  • The decomposing body of a woman was found in an alley in Chicago's Back of the Yards community this weekend.
    — Dylan Olsen, CBS News, 12 July 2026
Definition of decomposing
Verb
  • Check monthly for signs of shriveling (add moisture), blackening or softening (discard).
    — Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2026
  • The Volcano fire was among blazes this week, blackening more than 100 acres in Riverside County.
    — Joseph Serna, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Definition of blackening
Verb
  • One of Robinson's attorneys, Kathryn Nester, also represented Kouri Richins, who was convicted of poisoning her husband, Eric Richins, in March 2022.
    — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 23 June 2026
  • Lewis was accused of poisoning two white female housemates, assaulted by a white mob in response to the charge, and acquitted in court, only to then be accused of stealing art supplies and prohibited from reënrolling.
    — Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 8 June 2026
Definition of poisoning
Verb
  • Kiryl Pazniak, 49, who hosted a popular political show on YouTube, has been convicted on the charges of discrediting Belarus and forming an extremist organization, the group said — accusations widely used by authorities to stifle critical voices.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026
  • Defense attorney Tom Mesereau was an expert at discrediting witnesses, subjects told the filmmakers, but certain key witnesses, like Janet Arvizo, struggled to connect with the jury on their own.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2026
Definition of discrediting
Verb
  • Others rot in the California sun, disintegrating into bony fragments.
    — Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
  • The experiments have shown how a self-repair mechanism enables the spindle to stabilize itself under force and avoid disintegrating.
    — Jake Buehler, Quanta Magazine, 29 June 2026
Definition of disintegrating

Browse Nearby Words

fouled up
fouling
fouling up
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Cite this Entry

“Fouling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fouling. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on fouling

Nglish: Translation of fouling for Spanish Speakers

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