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
The Suffolk District Attorney’s Office told USA TODAY in a statement on Tuesday that the woman's death last week is not considered suspicious and that no foul play is suspected.
—
Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2025
The Seattle Police Department said the cause of the fire and whether or not foul play was a factor has not been determined.
—Megan Forrester, ABC News, 11 Mar. 2025
The pair died within days of each other and there were no apparent signs of foul play, New Mexico Chief Medical Investigator Dr. Heather Jarrell said at a news conference.
—Cara Tabachnick, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2025
Officers said, at the time, that foul play was not suspected.
—Sharareh Drury, People.com, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foul play
Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2025
The Seattle Police Department said the cause of the fire and whether or not foul play was a factor has not been determined.
—Megan Forrester, ABC News, 11 Mar. 2025
The pair died within days of each other and there were no apparent signs of foul play, New Mexico Chief Medical Investigator Dr. Heather Jarrell said at a news conference.
—Cara Tabachnick, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2025
Officers said, at the time, that foul play was not suspected.
—Sharareh Drury, People.com, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foul play
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foul play
Noun
-
They were taken down after the racial justice protests following the murder of George Floyd by a Minnesota police officer.—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2025
-
That show has been criticized after one of its most prominent voices was identified to have celebrated the murder of Jews in past social media posts, which was flagged in a recent report into the BBC’s coverage of the Israel-Hamas War.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
One where the memories are as much of romance as violence, as based around out-of-pocket jokes as tears.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
28 Mar. 2025
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Their violence — in medieval bestiaries, unicorns are regularly said to have beef with elephants and take them down by goring their bellies — is contrasted with their gentleness towards maidens and innate understanding of purity.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Bukele said El Salvador had 1.9 homicides per 100,000 people, which puts the country below what any Latin American country had reported in 2023, according to the AP.—
Jonathan Limehouse,
USA Today,
27 Mar. 2025
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Kate has conducted deep-dive investigations into transgender prison abuse and homicides for NBC News.—
Kate Sosin,
Them.,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Lower Blood Sugar Cinnamon tea could lower blood sugar by working like insulin by reducing glucose in the blood.—
Sarah Bence,
Verywell Health,
28 Mar. 2025
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Their relationship has been a rollercoaster—from matching blood vial necklaces to public breakups and reconciliations.—
Jenzia Burgos,
StyleCaster,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The attack sparked outrage on social media, with politicians from the north condemning the killings.—
Dyepkazah Shibayan,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2025
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The Homicide Unit is investigating the circumstances surrounding the killing, police said.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Foul play.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foul%20play. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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