foul play

noun

Definition of foul playnext
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

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.
Recent Examples of foul play The day after Wells' body was found, Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said Wells' friends were cooperating with authorities and that investigators did not suspect foul play. — ABC News, 22 July 2026 The Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner’s Office told the Observer that the decision to do autopsies depends on whether police or the medical examiner suspect foul play. — Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 22 July 2026 There were no immediate, obvious signs of foul play or trauma on Wells’ body, Lynd told CNN. — Holly Yan, CNN Money, 20 July 2026 Both the Blazers and city politicians have accused the other of foul play. — Jason Quick, New York Times, 20 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for foul play
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foul play
  1. murder
  2. violence
  3. homicide
  4. blood
  5. killing
Noun
  • The sheriff's office said ballistic testing performed with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives later produced forensic evidence linking the two murders.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 22 July 2026
  • Nearly three years after Ebony Duncan vanished after leaving work in Independence, a Jackson County jury has found her former boyfriend guilty of second-degree murder.
    — Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 22 July 2026
Definition of murder
Noun
  • That militant arm of the Democratic Party kept Black voters from going to the polls, sometimes by violence, The Observer reported.
    — Chase Jordan July 23, Charlotte Observer, 23 July 2026
  • Still, only Norfolk, Austin, Pittsburgh, and Minneapolis reported more homicides this year than during the same period in 2019, underscoring the broader decline in lethal violence nationwide.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 23 July 2026
Definition of violence
Noun
  • Fort Worth Police Department homicide detectives on Monday arrested Alonzo Reyes, 18, and Gerald Chamberlain, 17, on suspicion of murder in the alleged ruse.
    — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 July 2026
  • In 2022, by contrast, there had been almost twice as many homicides by the midpoint of the year, with 50 people killed in Denver by July 1, including 14 children.
    — Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 20 July 2026
Definition of homicide
Noun
  • Under cross-examination, Wallace said investigators did not swab or collect two chainsaws found in Burke’s garage because both tested negative for possible traces of blood.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 24 July 2026
  • Detectives believe that the killer cut herself during the attack and left the spot of blood.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 July 2026
Definition of blood
Noun
  • On May 31, 2022, the Fort Worth Police Department arrested Ponce in the killing.
    — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 July 2026
  • The police suspect Juggut Singh, a Sikh peasant with a criminal record who, on the night of the killing, was secretly meeting Nooran, the daughter of a Muslim priest and weaver.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 July 2026
Definition of killing

Browse Nearby Words

foulness
foul play
fouls
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Foul play.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foul%20play. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on foul play

Nglish: Translation of foul play for Spanish Speakers

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