foiled

¹ American  

[foild] / fɔɪld /

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of foil.

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adjective

1. prevented from succeeding; thwarted; blocked.

   A woman is now being questioned in connection with the foiled terror plot to attack churches in Paris.

foiled ² American  

[foild] / fɔɪld /

adjective

Architecture.

1. ornamented with foils (arcs or rounded spaces), as a gable, spandrel, or balustrade.

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Other Word Forms

• unfoiled
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of foiled¹

First recorded in 1300–50 as a verb, for an earlier sense; foil ¹ ( def. ) + -ed ¹ ( def. ), and in 1680–90 as an adjective; foil ¹ ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Origin of foiled²

First recorded in 1655–65; foil ² + -ed ³

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

foiled

Maybe Stevens snapped after spending another week butting heads with the rival who foiled her Senate dreams.

From Slate ● Nov. 2, 2026

The attack was foiled when one of the five men driving to Fairford called the police to alert them.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026

Another 45 similar plots failed or were foiled, it says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

Then on Wednesday, The Times newspaper reported that the incident had been foiled after one of the five suspects tipped off the police before the group was apprehended.

From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026

Her son had gone, and her lover, and there was nothing left Even the promise to return had foiled her futile grasp.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

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Related Words

• barred
• blocked
• closed
• confined
• controlled
• defined
• deprived
• prescribed
• reduced
• restrained
• secured
• shortened
• tethered

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