foul line

noun

1
: either of two straight lines extending from the rear corner of home plate through the outer corners of first and third base respectively and prolonged to the boundary of a baseball field
2
: a line across a bowling alley that a player must not step over when delivering the ball
3
: either of two lines on a basketball court parallel to and 15 feet from the backboards behind which a player must stand while shooting a free throw

Examples of foul line in a Sentence

The ball landed just inside the right-field foul line.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
During a two-game stretch in late November, Durant made 11 of 16 from the foul line. Doug Haller, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025 Key stat The Red Storm shot 58.6% (17 of 29) from the foul line. Staff and Wire Reports, Hartford Courant, 16 Feb. 2025 Herro tied a season-high with 40 points on 15-of-30 shooting from the field, 3-of-14 shooting on threes and 7-of-9 shooting from the foul line to go with eight rebounds, three assists and three steals in the loss. Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 14 Feb. 2025 Karl-Anthony Towns poured on 40 points on 14-of-23 shooting from the field, three-of-eight shooting from downtown and a perfect nine-of-nine clip from the foul line to go with his 12 rebounds, five assists and three steals on the night. Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 12 Feb. 2025 See all Example Sentences for foul line 

Word History

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of foul line was in 1868

Dictionary Entries Near foul line

Cite this Entry

“Foul line.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foul%20line. Accessed 23 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

foul line

noun
1
: either of two straight lines running from the rear corner of home plate through first and third base on to the boundary of a baseball field
2
: a line across which a player must not step (as when bowling or shooting a free throw)
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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