FOULED Synonyms: 252 Similar and Opposite Words

fouled 1 of 2

adjective

as in contaminated

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fouled

2 of 2

verb

past tense of foul

as in stained

to make dirty the mechanic fouled the bath towels with axle grease

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in polluted

to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable industrial pollution fouling the water supply

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in humiliated

to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes the minister was irreparably fouled by baseless rumors and allegations

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in decomposed

to go through decomposition unless you want to smell the organic refuse as it fouls, locate the compost heap away from the house

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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 fouled

Adjective

The moment was significant because Cunningham was the in the WNBA to stand up for Clark, the league's biggest star, who is perpetually fouled hard. — Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Salaün had a chance to tie it after being fouled on a 3-point attempt late, but missed her last free throw of the trio. — Staff, Mercury News, 30 July 2026 In the future, more regulations may be established to turn away ships that are too heavily fouled, Tamburri said. — Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 25 July 2026 Niehues scored on a penalty kick in the 56th minute after a video review determined Ary Borges was fouled in the box. — Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2026 For example, if a player is fouled on a 3-point shot that misses, the player would shoot a single free throw worth three points. — Zach Powell, New York Times, 2 July 2026 Clark was also fouled while shooting a 3-pointer later in the second quarter. — CBS News, 25 June 2026 One minute into the 1974 World Cup final in West Germany, Holland legend Johan Cruyff was fouled in the penalty area and history was about to be made. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 24 June 2026 Even when the comeback seemed for naught when Stephon Castle was fouled after the Knicks had taken the lead and made two free throws to put the Spurs back ahead with 30 seconds left, the Knicks had one more rally in them. — Brian Mahoney, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2026

Verb

The environmentalists said the ranchers brought in invasive plants with their feed, and that cattle fouled the soil and waterways. — Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026 Bridget Carleton blocked a shot by Copper and grabbed the rebound with 12 seconds to go, then sank two free throws for a four-point lead after Copper fouled her. — ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026 At the end, the Liberty prevailed as the Sparks intentionally fouled to stay in the game, getting clutch makes by Ionescu. — Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 14 Aug. 2026 White faced a similar controversy when Clark also was fouled hard earlier this season, prompting a letter from the US House of Representatives to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. — CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026 Susac fouled a pitch right off his left knee in the bottom of the fifth and instantly fell to the ground in pain. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 9 Aug. 2026 The Twins also must now monitor Caratini, who fouled a pitch off his right knee on Wednesday night. — Dan Hayes, New York Times, 23 July 2026 On Monday, after homering in the second inning and striking out in the third, Kuroda-Grauer was back at the dish and fouled a pitch straight into his own crotch. — Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 July 2026 England’s penalty kick came after Malo Gusto fouled Djed Spence in the box. — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 18 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fouled

Adjective

Your veterinarian may also recommend a bath to remove contaminated feces from its fur.

— Angela Haupt, Time, 12 Aug. 2026
Respiratory and neurological side effects can be symptoms in contaminated areas, which include headaches, tiredness, difficulty breathing and irritations of the eyes, nose and throat.

— Alexiah Syrai Olsen, Sacbee.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of contaminated

Verb

Our state has thousands of sites already polluted with toxic chemicals and other pollutants, and those projects affect air quality, safe drinking water and community health for millions of Californians.

— Shannon Olivieri Hovis, Mercury News, 18 Aug. 2026
Greenpeace Germany warned that oil has already polluted stretches of coastline and damaged the area's fragile ecosystem.

— Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of polluted

Verb

In their first national title game, the Wildcats humiliated Oklahoma in the national semifinal by 44, and in their second, demoralized Michigan in the title game by 17.

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026
After being publicly humiliated by Daemon Targaryen and lured to switch sides (with his dragon) to the Greens by Ormund Hightower, party animal Ulf is still drunk and MIA when the battle starts.

— Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of humiliated

Verb

This would be compost not quite fully decomposed, with portions that are reasonably small.

— Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2026
According to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the investigation has been complicated by how decomposed the bodies were.

— Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of decomposed

Adjective

The letter also raises concerns that the White House may have worked with Taylor Farms to delay warnings to the public about the tainted food supply.

— Elizabeth Schulze, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
Diarrhea has been a headline story in the United States this summer, with thousands of cases of explosive diarrhea traced to Cyclospora from tainted lettuce –- and the first two deaths from the outbreak now confirmed in Michigan.

— Joseph Kim, NPR, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of tainted

Verb

Patterson was accused of pretending to eat the same portion, and of feigning illness in an elaborate ruse to suggest she’d also been poisoned.

— Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
For decades, many speculated Taylor had been poisoned with arsenic, as his sudden death happened during an intense political crisis over slavery.

— Sophie Clausen, PEOPLE, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of poisoned

Browse Nearby Words

foul

fouled

fouled up

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“Fouled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fouled. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of fouled

adjective

verb

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