technical foul
noun
basketball
: a foul that is assessed to a player, coach, or team typically for unsportsmanlike conduct (such as arguing with an official or taunting an opponent) and does not usually involve physical contact with an opponent while the ball is in play
called also technical
compare personal foulExamples of technical foul in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There’s acid all over what should be a celebratory 30th anniversary season because, apparently, no one can process trash-talking and technical fouls and the occasional fist-to-throat as anything but a cultural reckoning.
—
Brian Hamilton,
New York Times,
2 July 2026
Thomas’ flagrant foul occurred two days after the teams’ chippy June 22 matchup, which saw Thomas and Clark receive technical fouls along with three other players for their involvement in a scuffle during the final frame of the Fever’s 86-77 win.
—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
1 July 2026
Portis rushed over to confront Nesmith, picking up his first technical foul.
—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
30 June 2026
Both players received technical fouls for the exchange, which the viral Fever player later explained in a Saturday, June 27 episode of her Show Me Something podcast.
—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
29 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for technical foul
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Brian Hamilton,
New York Times,
2 July 2026
Thomas’ flagrant foul occurred two days after the teams’ chippy June 22 matchup, which saw Thomas and Clark receive technical fouls along with three other players for their involvement in a scuffle during the final frame of the Fever’s 86-77 win.
—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
1 July 2026
Portis rushed over to confront Nesmith, picking up his first technical foul.
—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
30 June 2026
Both players received technical fouls for the exchange, which the viral Fever player later explained in a Saturday, June 27 episode of her Show Me Something podcast.
—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
29 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for technical foul
Cite this Entry
“Technical foul.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/technical%20foul. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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