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
Potter was one of the best shooting bigs in the league last season and neared the infamous 50-40-90 cutoffs for efficiency, only coming up short at the foul line.
—
Tony East,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2026
Wilson shot 8 for 14 from the field and 13 for 16 from the foul line for Las Vegas (14-5), which improved to 8-2 on the road.
—
CBS News,
28 June 2026
His nose for the foul line is second to none in this draft class with his polished footwork and gathers.
—
Josh Robbins,
New York Times,
25 June 2026
Others always put on their equipment in the same order or avoid stepping on the foul line.
—
Adam Annaccone,
The Conversation,
22 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for foul line
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.
Tony East,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2026
Wilson shot 8 for 14 from the field and 13 for 16 from the foul line for Las Vegas (14-5), which improved to 8-2 on the road.
—
CBS News,
28 June 2026
His nose for the foul line is second to none in this draft class with his polished footwork and gathers.
—
Josh Robbins,
New York Times,
25 June 2026
Others always put on their equipment in the same order or avoid stepping on the foul line.
—
Adam Annaccone,
The Conversation,
22 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for foul line
Cite this Entry
“Foul line.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foul%20line. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
