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.
Butler does two things the Warriors sorely lack: finish at the rim and get to the foul line. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2025 Herro finished Tuesday’s loss with 23 points on 5-of-15 shooting from the field, 3-of-11 shooting on threes and 10-of-11 shooting from the foul line. Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 5 Feb. 2025 UConn: The Huskies avoided a second consecutive conference loss with an impressive second-half performance, aided by going 14-for-14 from the foul line. Jim Fuller, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2025 The Knicks never trailed, going a perfect 5-of-5 from the field and 5-of-5 from the foul line in overtime, displaying the poise and precision of a team determined to right the ship. Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 16 Jan. 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 11 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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