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
An investigation remained ongoing, but authorities reported that no foul play was suspected.
—
Rey Covarrubias Jr, AZCentral.com, 20 July 2025
There were no signs of trauma on the body, according to an autopsy, and there’s no suspicion of foul play, police said.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 17 July 2025
Though police initially didn’t suspect foul play, the evidence discovered at the scene of Huisentruit’s disappearance quickly pointed toward suspicious circumstances.
—Yasmeen Hamadeh, People.com, 15 July 2025
There were no obvious signs of trauma or immediate indication the man was the victim of foul play.
—Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for foul play
Rey Covarrubias Jr, AZCentral.com, 20 July 2025
There were no signs of trauma on the body, according to an autopsy, and there’s no suspicion of foul play, police said.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 17 July 2025
Though police initially didn’t suspect foul play, the evidence discovered at the scene of Huisentruit’s disappearance quickly pointed toward suspicious circumstances.
—Yasmeen Hamadeh, People.com, 15 July 2025
There were no obvious signs of trauma or immediate indication the man was the victim of foul play.
—Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for foul play
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foul play
Noun
-
Smith was convicted of one count each of second-degree murder, a grossly negligent act causing miscarriage/stillbirth, and fleeing police, causing serious bodily injury, as well as two counts of reckless driving, according to online court records.—
Christina Hall,
Freep.com,
25 July 2025
-
Morphew was indicted by a grand jury in Colorado on charges of murder in the first degree June 20 after the Mother's Day 2020 disappearance of his wife, Suzanne Morphew, the mother of two daughters.—
Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
25 July 2025
Noun
-
Once contained to local disputes resolved between communities, the violence has exploded into mass killings fueled by population growth, the climate crisis, and the collapse of traditional peacemaking.—
Emmanuel Akinwotu,
NPR,
26 July 2025
-
Tensions between the two communities have exploded, leading to some of the worst sectarian violence Syria has seen since the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s dictatorship.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
25 July 2025
Noun
-
The victim, 66-year-old Eugene Allen, was discovered by residents around 4:30 p.m. During the investigation, homicide squad detectives identified Nieves Reyes as a suspect in the man’s death.—
Theodore Parisienne,
New York Daily News,
24 July 2025
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If anyone has information about Damian Ward’s death, the Prince George’s County Police Department said a homicide detective can be reached by calling at 301-516-2512.—
Julia Marnin,
Miami Herald,
23 July 2025
Noun
-
The church's Red Cross blood drive from 1-6 p.m. July 28.—
Carin Schoppmeyer,
Arkansas Online,
27 July 2025
-
Takeovers come with premiums – usually around 40% – and that’s not counting the rally a share gets when investors smell blood in the water.—
Clem Chambers,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
Noun
-
The killing turned Gary, who was charged with second-degree murder, into an instant hero among some people.—
Christine Pelisek,
People.com,
26 July 2025
-
Once contained to local disputes resolved between communities, the violence has exploded into mass killings fueled by population growth, the climate crisis, and the collapse of traditional peacemaking.—
Emmanuel Akinwotu,
NPR,
26 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Foul play.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foul%20play. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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