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
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Recent Examples of foul play
Officials said no foul play was suspected and the investigation was concluded.
—
Stepheny Price , Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 17 June 2025
Officials said there were no obvious signs of foul play or trauma.
—Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2025
Jeremiah Kelly, 18, was found dead on April 22 inside his on-campus residence and the Hamilton County Coroner's Office did not find evidence of injury or foul play when its staff performed an autopsy, officials said in an April 28 news release.
—Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
When asked by Dateline in a follow up email whether authorities believe Jonathan may have been kidnapped, O’Keefe reiterated that there is no evidence of foul play in the case.
—Nicolás Viñuela, NBC news, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for foul play
Stepheny Price , Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 17 June 2025
Officials said there were no obvious signs of foul play or trauma.
—Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2025
Jeremiah Kelly, 18, was found dead on April 22 inside his on-campus residence and the Hamilton County Coroner's Office did not find evidence of injury or foul play when its staff performed an autopsy, officials said in an April 28 news release.
—Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
When asked by Dateline in a follow up email whether authorities believe Jonathan may have been kidnapped, O’Keefe reiterated that there is no evidence of foul play in the case.
—Nicolás Viñuela, NBC news, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for foul play
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foul play
Noun
-
Smith was convicted of one count each of second-degree murder, a grossly negligent act causing miscarriage/stillbirth, and fleeing police, causing serious bodily injury, as well as two counts of reckless driving, according to online court records.—
Christina Hall,
Freep.com,
25 July 2025
-
Morphew was indicted by a grand jury in Colorado on charges of murder in the first degree June 20 after the Mother's Day 2020 disappearance of his wife, Suzanne Morphew, the mother of two daughters.—
Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
25 July 2025
Noun
-
Once contained to local disputes resolved between communities, the violence has exploded into mass killings fueled by population growth, the climate crisis, and the collapse of traditional peacemaking.—
Emmanuel Akinwotu,
NPR,
26 July 2025
-
Tensions between the two communities have exploded, leading to some of the worst sectarian violence Syria has seen since the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s dictatorship.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
25 July 2025
Noun
-
The victim, 66-year-old Eugene Allen, was discovered by residents around 4:30 p.m. During the investigation, homicide squad detectives identified Nieves Reyes as a suspect in the man’s death.—
Theodore Parisienne,
New York Daily News,
24 July 2025
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If anyone has information about Damian Ward’s death, the Prince George’s County Police Department said a homicide detective can be reached by calling at 301-516-2512.—
Julia Marnin,
Miami Herald,
23 July 2025
Noun
-
The church's Red Cross blood drive from 1-6 p.m. July 28.—
Carin Schoppmeyer,
Arkansas Online,
27 July 2025
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Takeovers come with premiums – usually around 40% – and that’s not counting the rally a share gets when investors smell blood in the water.—
Clem Chambers,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
Noun
-
The killing turned Gary, who was charged with second-degree murder, into an instant hero among some people.—
Christine Pelisek,
People.com,
26 July 2025
-
Once contained to local disputes resolved between communities, the violence has exploded into mass killings fueled by population growth, the climate crisis, and the collapse of traditional peacemaking.—
Emmanuel Akinwotu,
NPR,
26 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Foul play.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foul%20play. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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