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

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

Shortly after the foiled attack, Taylor Swift said it had filled her with "a new sense of fear" - and that the cancellations left her with a "tremendous amount of guilt".

From BBC • May 28, 2026

Nuñez claimed similar attacks have been foiled in other European nations, including France, Netherlands, Britain and Norway.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

Iran-linked plots have also been foiled beyond Europe, pointing to a broader campaign.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

There was for a while a lull in the assault, since the attempt to break in through the culvert had been foiled.

From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien

Related Words

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