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

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

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".

From Barron's

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

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

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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