as in frustrated
to prevent from achieving a goal
in popular fiction the hero will always foil the villain's plans
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of foiled
The sharpest bull market to that point occurred during the late 1970s, rising to nearly $50/oz from less than $4 as brothers Nelson and William Hunt attempted to corner the market before being foiled by regulatory changes and massive margin calls that ultimately led them to file for bankruptcy.
—
Michael Khouw, CNBC, 26 Jan. 2026
Essentially an inverted winger who wants to cut inside and shoot, too many of the Algerian’s shots have been blocked, but he’s also been foiled by a couple of good saves and hit the near post when running in behind late on in a win against Espanyol.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2026
The Eagles — who won a Super Bowl on a trick play — were foiled by one when Jennings was pitched the ball and rolled right and hit McCaffrey on a 29-yard touchdown.
—Dan Gelston, Twin Cities, 12 Jan. 2026
The Eagles -- who won a Super Bowl on a trick play — were foiled by one when Jennings was pitched the ball and rolled right and hit McCaffery on a 29-yard touchdown.
—Dan Gelston, Denver Post, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for foiled
Michael Khouw, CNBC, 26 Jan. 2026
Essentially an inverted winger who wants to cut inside and shoot, too many of the Algerian’s shots have been blocked, but he’s also been foiled by a couple of good saves and hit the near post when running in behind late on in a win against Espanyol.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2026
The Eagles — who won a Super Bowl on a trick play — were foiled by one when Jennings was pitched the ball and rolled right and hit McCaffrey on a 29-yard touchdown.
—Dan Gelston, Twin Cities, 12 Jan. 2026
The Eagles -- who won a Super Bowl on a trick play — were foiled by one when Jennings was pitched the ball and rolled right and hit McCaffery on a 29-yard touchdown.
—Dan Gelston, Denver Post, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for foiled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foiled
Verb
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Florida House Republicans, who assembled a redistricting committee last summer, have been frustrated by the slower pace set by DeSantis.—
Michael Van Sickler,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
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Ava Mattox, 32, was looking to connect with other readers, frustrated by how few Americans read for pleasure these days.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Twice thwarted, Beth sighs, says yes, and gets on with the business of living.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
5 Feb. 2026
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This all-consuming love, thwarted in the book by circumstances, has flourished beyond its pages.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Democratic lawmakers condemn Maxwell’s plea Democrats in the House Oversight Committee denounced Maxwell’s request for a presidential pardon and suggested that Trump’s refusal to rule out such a possibility has hampered the committee’s inquiry.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
10 Feb. 2026
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As has been the case many a time during the season, giveaways hampered Golden State for much of the night.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Even Proctor’s defense attorney seemed baffled by the district attorney’s office’s handling of the case.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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This disconnect, despite all appearances of a serious campaign, has left many Democrats baffled.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Coached by Mike Holmgren and led by quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle went 13-3 during the regular season and defeated Washington and Carolina in the playoffs.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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Celta defeated Rayo 3-0, but this was a match that is likely to be remembered for what happened off the pitch.—
Colin Millar,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Foiled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foiled. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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