foiled

¹

[foild]

verb

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

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

[foild]

adjective

Architecture.

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

Other Word Forms

• unfoiled adjective

Word History and Origins

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

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

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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?”

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Russia said Tuesday it had foiled an Anglo-Ukrainian plot to hijack a military jet carrying a hypersonic missile which they planned to take to Romania in a "large-scale provocation".

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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.

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Dozens of times, local police have found half-drilled holes and abandoned equipment, suggesting his holdup attempts were foiled.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• barred 
• blocked 
• closed 
• confined 
• controlled 
• defined 
• deprived 
• prescribed 
• reduced 
• restrained 
• secured www.thesaurus.com
• shortened www.thesaurus.com
• tethered