foreclose

verb

fore·​close (ˌ)fȯr-ˈklōz 

foreclosed; foreclosing; forecloses

transitive verb

1

: to shut out : preclude

2

: to hold exclusively

3

: to deal with or close in advance

4

: to subject to foreclosure proceedings

intransitive verb

: to foreclose a mortgage

Examples of foreclose in a Sentence

They've been unable to make their mortgage payments, and the bank has threatened to foreclose.

The bank has threatened to foreclose their mortgage.

Recent Examples on the Web

With the prosecution foreclosed because of Trump's 2024 election victory, the document is expected to be the final Justice Department chronicle of Jan. 6 and its preceding events. —Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 15 Jan. 2025

After seven weeks, Deng had the protests quashed ruthlessly, in the process foreclosing the political democratization that Hu had hoped for. —Foreign Affairs, 1 Jan. 2025

All modes of communication are foreclosed; infrastructure crumbles. —Vogue, 26 Dec. 2024

Newsom’s executive order has foreclosed that option in Los Angeles. —Calmatters, The Mercury News, 17 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French forclos, past participle of forclore, forsclore, from fors outside (from Latin foris) + clore to close — more at forum

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

foreclose

verb

fore·​close (ˈ)fōr-ˈklōz 

(ˈ)fȯr-

: to take legal measures to end a mortgage and take possession of the mortgaged property because the conditions of the mortgage have not been met

foreclosure

-ˈklō-zhər

noun

Legal Definition

foreclose

verb

fore·​close fōr-ˈklōz 

transitive verb

: to subject to foreclosure proceedings

intransitive verb

: to foreclose a mortgage or other security interest compare repossess, seize sense 2

Etymology

Anglo-French forclos, past participle of foreclore to preclude, prevent, from fors outside + clore to close