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
Relevance
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
Examples 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
Phoenix police said a day later there were no signs of foul play in the incident, which has drawn national attention and grief at the death of an 8-year-old boy.
—
Stacey Barchenger, The Arizona Republic, 4 Dec. 2024
No cause of death was given, although TMZ reported that, according to police, no foul play was suspected as Bryar’s possessions, including musical equipment and weapons, were untouched.
—Malia Mendez, Los Angeles Times, 3 Dec. 2024
And despite the cryptic texts, police said their investigation so far has not turned up any evidence that Kobayashi is the victim of any foul play or that she is being trafficked.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 3 Dec. 2024
Police emphasized the unidentified man committed no crime and that Kobayashi is not suspected to be the victim of foul play.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 7 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for foul play 
Stacey Barchenger, The Arizona Republic, 4 Dec. 2024
No cause of death was given, although TMZ reported that, according to police, no foul play was suspected as Bryar’s possessions, including musical equipment and weapons, were untouched.
—Malia Mendez, Los Angeles Times, 3 Dec. 2024
And despite the cryptic texts, police said their investigation so far has not turned up any evidence that Kobayashi is the victim of any foul play or that she is being trafficked.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 3 Dec. 2024
Police emphasized the unidentified man committed no crime and that Kobayashi is not suspected to be the victim of foul play.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 7 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for foul play
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foul play
Noun
-
In another high-profile case, Mangione, the man facing a second-degree murder charge in the death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, was reported missing last month by his mother.Amanda Musa, CNN, 15 Dec. 2024
-
The suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare's CEO has added a prominent defense lawyer to his legal team as Manhattan prosecutors work to return him from Pennsylvania to face a murder charge.Compiled by Democrat-Gazette staff from wire reports, arkansasonline.com, 15 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Other lawmakers cited the violence at the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot as their reason for not attending the upcoming inauguration.Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024
-
In this location, there is a layering of histories of violence coupled with limited resources.Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 16 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
The case may be connected to another homicide on Columbus’ south side earlier in the week though police have not confirmed a link.Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 15 Dec. 2024
-
The tragic incident comes as Mexico’s homicide rate remains among the highest in the world, according to data assembled by the World Bank Group.Escher Walcott, People.com, 14 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
The deal is finalized in a ceremonial scene where Rainwater and Kayce seal the agreement with a blood handshake as Mo (Brings Plenty) sings a song in his Native language.Monica Mercuri, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
-
The pair cut themselves and make a blood oath with the promise that the tribe will allow the Dutton family to keep East Camp and never develop or sell the rest of the land.Lisa Respers France, CNN, 16 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
The homicide figures do not include killings that occurred in self-defense or in other circumstances not measured in Chicago police statistics.Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 16 Dec. 2024
-
Police are far more likely to be convicted of manslaughter than murder in on-duty killings, and the statute of limitations for the lesser crime had expired or nearly run out on three of the four shootings Middleton was set to review by the time he was hired in June 2021.James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near foul play
Cite this Entry
“Foul play.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foul%20play. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share