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

"The attempt to obtain that information was only foiled by the police."

From BBC

Buddy’s plan gets foiled when Odd, confronted with his crime, quietly admits it, returns the loot, and leaves the house.

From The Wall Street Journal

However, Ukraine's SBU security service had been watching and foiled the attack.

From BBC

Penelope seized the opportunity to ask, “As I said, it is the man called Quinzy who foiled your plans, not us. Will you tell me how you came to know him to begin with?”

From Literature

He struck the outside of the post in the opening stages and was later foiled one-on-one by Leno when should have doubled the lead.

From BBC

Related Words

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