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
Portugal’s National Cybersecurity Center on Monday dismissed speculation about foul play, saying there was no sign that the outage resulted from a cyber attack.
—
Suman Naishadham, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2025
The cause of the blackout, which stranded tens of millions of people across the Iberian Peninsula, was still unknown by Tuesday morning, though several officials said there were no signs of foul play.
—Jonathan Wolfe, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
Police said there were no signs of foul play found during her autopsy.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 25 Apr. 2025
Authorities in New England found a body behind a school in Massachusetts and are suspecting foul play, adding to the number of people found dead in the region since February.
—Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for foul play
Suman Naishadham, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2025
The cause of the blackout, which stranded tens of millions of people across the Iberian Peninsula, was still unknown by Tuesday morning, though several officials said there were no signs of foul play.
—Jonathan Wolfe, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
Police said there were no signs of foul play found during her autopsy.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 25 Apr. 2025
Authorities in New England found a body behind a school in Massachusetts and are suspecting foul play, adding to the number of people found dead in the region since February.
—Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for foul play
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foul play
Noun
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The 18-year-old, who was released from custody last month after posting a $250,000 bond, is charged with murder in connection with the fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf, 17, on April 2 at a track meet in the Dallas suburb of Frisco.—
Jonathan Limehouse,
USA Today,
15 May 2025
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Ultimately, they were convicted of first-degree murder in 1996 and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
14 May 2025
Noun
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The flashy sequences of violence feel apt for TV (Netflix, along with Steven Spielberg’s production outfit and the Obamas’ media company, is working on a series), but the novel’s real draw is the quieter ache of a family torn apart.—
The Atlantic,
The Atlantic,
15 May 2025
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The writing and acting is simply outstanding, with moments of genuine humor followed by gut-wrenching scenes of violence or suspense.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2025
Noun
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Police are investigating the woman’s death as a homicide, and no suspect information has been released.—
Robert A. Cronkleton,
Kansas City Star,
14 May 2025
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The advisory, which was published on May 7, says that petty crime, violent crime, armed robbery, and homicide are on the rise in Cuba.—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
14 May 2025
Noun
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Factors that raise your risk of stroke The accumulation of plaque (or cholesterol) in the arteries, which raises the risk of blood clotting, is caused by a number of risk factors.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
16 May 2025
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Doctors have started using gene-editing treatments like CRISPR to treat devastating genetic blood disorders such as sickle cell disease, and are studying experimental gene-editing therapies for other diseases, including cancer, inherited high cholesterol and some forms of genetic blindness.—
Rob Stein,
NPR,
15 May 2025
Noun
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Femicide is the killing of women and girls because of their gender, according to the European Institute for Gender Equality.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
16 May 2025
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Instead, the new #1 is a documentary, American Manhunt: Osama bin Laden, about the killing of the terrorist behind 9/11.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Foul play.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foul%20play. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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