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 medical examiner's office said no foul play is suspected in connection with Steven’s death, officials added.
—
Abigail Adams, People.com, 13 Feb. 2025
No foul play is suspected in the incident, Kelley said.
—Katie Langford, The Denver Post, 12 Feb. 2025
No foul play is suspected in his death, and the case was officially closed Tuesday after decades of uncertainty for the family, the sheriff's office said.
—CBS News, 12 Feb. 2025
The situation has left officials to wonder whether foul play might be involved from former city officials and city managers.
—Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foul play
Abigail Adams, People.com, 13 Feb. 2025
No foul play is suspected in the incident, Kelley said.
—Katie Langford, The Denver Post, 12 Feb. 2025
No foul play is suspected in his death, and the case was officially closed Tuesday after decades of uncertainty for the family, the sheriff's office said.
—CBS News, 12 Feb. 2025
The situation has left officials to wonder whether foul play might be involved from former city officials and city managers.
—Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foul play
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foul play
Noun
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Davis has pleaded not guilty to the murder and gang enhancement charges.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA TODAY,
20 Feb. 2025
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The parents of a malnourished 16-month-old toddler who died at a Poway hospital last year were arrested Wednesday on suspicion of murder, San Diego police said.—
Caleb Lunetta,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Chaos and violence ensue, but CIA director Jeremy Lasch (Bill Camp) shows up just in time to secret Mullen away while reports are sent out that he's been killed.—
Megan McCluskey,
TIME,
20 Feb. 2025
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Since 2014, Ukraine has been subjected to a level of violence and criminality that reflects Russia’s utter contempt for the laws of armed conflict.—
The Editors,
National Review,
20 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Her death was ruled a homicide, with the cause of death confirmed to be strangulation and blunt-force injuries to the head and neck.—
Lissete Lanuza Sáenz,
StyleCaster,
18 Feb. 2025
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Officers were called to the homicide scene in the 7400 block of Kingswood Circle around 2:40 a.m. on Oct. 4.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
18 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Similarly, cardiology is leveraging radiopharmaceuticals for imaging blood flow and assessing heart function in unprecedented ways.—
Stephen Belcher,
Forbes,
20 Feb. 2025
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Like a 12-episode cat-and-mouse game, the season culminated with a truly shocking sting-in-the-tail finale featuring a corpse in a bathtub and a toddler crying in a pool of blood — his fate eerily mirroring his father's own baptism into evil once upon a time.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
19 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Penny was acquitted last year in the 2023 killing of Jordan Neely on a New York City subway.—
Alexandra Koch,
Fox News,
20 Feb. 2025
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Ten years ago, Carlton Mackey, like much of the country’s Black population, was overwhelmed with media images of death, anger and unrest in the wake of Michael Brown’s killing.—
Char Adams,
NBC News,
20 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Foul play.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foul%20play. Accessed 2 Mar. 2025.
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