1
as in stains
to make dirty
the mechanic fouled the bath towels with axle grease
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pollutes
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 humiliates
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 decomposes
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fouls
Verb
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Farmers overapplying them in their fields can cause nitrogen-laden runoff that pollutes water and the air.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
10 Sep. 2025 -
Moreover, the use of harsh chemicals pollutes water and soil during lithium extraction.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Mar. 2025
Verb
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And Sacks, a PayPal Mafia member and veteran Silicon Valley investor, is just the sort of titan of industry this town routinely devours and humiliates — from Rex Tillerson to, well, Elon Musk.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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And whether the Carolina Panthers are just stuck in an endless loop of embarrassment, one that alternately humiliates and enrages their fans.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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When leaves fall to the ground, the carbon stays in these leaves, breaks down, and decomposes and releases nutrients back into the soil that plants can take in.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
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The calculation, called the Fourier transform, decomposes any function into its parts.—
Shalma Wegsman,
Quanta Magazine,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This could include some sort of novel, exotic form of mass or energy, a non-standard form of dark matter or dark energy that decays or otherwise interacts, or a modification to one or more laws of physics.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
2 Sep. 2025
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Competitive advantage now decays in months, not years.—
Jason Wingard,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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In the case of Governor Pritzker insults his body, body shamed him.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Aug. 2025
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No matter how many times Putin insults the president and ignores his calls for a total ceasefire in Ukraine, Trump returns for more humiliation.—
Trudy Rubin,
Mercury News,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The debris collides with Earth's atmosphere at high speed and disintegrates, creating fiery and colorful streaks in the sky.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
12 Aug. 2025
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Recruits typically come from deprived areas, and as Russia’s economy disintegrates in slow motion, the bonanza offered by the army looks increasingly appealing.—
David Hambling,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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If Britain continues down the path of criminalizing thought and prayer, the alliance risks being reduced to polite diplomacy while its moral core rots away.—
Lois McLatchie Miller,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Dim sunlight smudges skies for only a few hours in the depth of winter.—
Tom Vanden Brook,
USA Today,
13 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Fouls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fouls. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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