as in foul
not being in accordance with the rules or standards of what is fair in sport
was suspended for unsportsmanlike conduct
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Recent Examples of unsportsmanlike
Any celebratory simulation of a weapon being brandished will draw an automatic unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
—
Chase Goodbread, The Tuscaloosa News, 20 Aug. 2025
Finally, there were several unsportsmanlike penalties last year against players who celebrated a play by pretending to fire a gun.
—Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
Legette and Jenkins were immediately flagged for unsportsmanlike contact and then ejected from the game.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 9 Aug. 2025
Giveaway Entities reserve the right, in their sole determination, to permanently disqualify any Entrant that Giveaway Entities reasonably believe has tampered with the entry process or the operation of the Giveaway, acted in violation of these Official Rules, or acted in an unsportsmanlike manner.
—USA TODAY, 22 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsportsmanlike
Chase Goodbread, The Tuscaloosa News, 20 Aug. 2025
Finally, there were several unsportsmanlike penalties last year against players who celebrated a play by pretending to fire a gun.
—Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
Legette and Jenkins were immediately flagged for unsportsmanlike contact and then ejected from the game.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 9 Aug. 2025
Giveaway Entities reserve the right, in their sole determination, to permanently disqualify any Entrant that Giveaway Entities reasonably believe has tampered with the entry process or the operation of the Giveaway, acted in violation of these Official Rules, or acted in an unsportsmanlike manner.
—USA TODAY, 22 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsportsmanlike
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsportsmanlike
Adjective
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The cards’ robust stainless-steel construction can withstand extreme handling like drops, foul weather and almost any other element that happens to come along.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Their journey takes a detour when her mom turns out to be a foul-mouthed truck driver, launching the trio into a cross-country odyssey filled with eccentric encounters, outrageous mishaps, and unexpected emotional revelations.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Asking them to police a city is unfair — to them, and to the people they’re supposed to serve.—
Eric Chastain,
Twin Cities,
7 Sep. 2025
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There’s a dip after that — but this, of course, is a bit unfair as the players of this generation are continuing to pick up caps.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Louisville police say anything that goes into the air or explodes is illegal for average citizens.—
James Bruggers,
The Courier-Journal,
5 July 2017
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Official fireworks shows took place over the city, and illegal pyrotechnics lit up the sky everywhere in between.—
Lisa Beebe,
Los Angeles Magazine,
5 July 2017
Adjective
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Sean Gardner/Getty Images This comes just weeks after Zilisch suffered a nasty fall from his car in Victory Lane at Watkins Glen, which resulted in a broken collarbone.—
Lydia Mee,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Sep. 2025
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Parents pushing, people cutting lines, nasty attitudes everywhere, especially outside and in Sephora.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unsportsmanlike.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsportsmanlike. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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