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

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

foiled

In 2017, a van transporting an exam paper in the eastern Indian state of Bihar was intercepted by scammers, who attempted to make off with the papers but were foiled.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 2026

Asked why the FBI revealed the foiled plot -- a step it does not always take for various security reasons -- Vance pointed to potential "scale of the planned attack."

From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 2026

Human soldiers have easily foiled AI systems by doing what is "out of the ordinary", like somersaulting or putting cardboard boxes over their heads, external, he adds.

From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026

A fraudster who tried to sell bogus ancient statues to Sotheby's was foiled when his fake accompanying paperwork was found to be written with printing methods that were 25 years too modern, a court heard.

From BBC ● May 22, 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

Related Words

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