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Synonyms

foray

American  
[fawr-ey, for-ey] / ˈfɔr eɪ, ˈfɒr eɪ /

noun

  1. a quick raid, usually for the purpose of taking plunder.

    Vikings made a foray on the port.
    Synonyms:
    sortie, incursion, invasion, assault, attack

  2. a quick, sudden attack.

    The defenders made a foray outside the walls.

  3. an initial venture.

    a successful foray into politics.

verb (used without object)

  1. to make a raid; pillage; maraud.

  2. to invade or make one's way, as for profit or adventure.

    foreign industries foraying into U.S. markets.

verb (used with object)

  1. to ravage in search of plunder; pillage.

foray British  
/ ˈfɒreɪ /

noun

  1. a short raid or incursion

  2. a first attempt or new undertaking

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to raid or ravage (a town, district, etc)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • forayer noun

Etymology

Origin of foray

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English forraien, apparently by back formation from forrayour, forreour, forrier, from Old French forrier, fourrier, equivalent to fo(u)rr(er), derivative of fuerre “provender” ( forage ) + -ier -ier 2

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Ghost Elephants” takes its place as yet another of the director’s essential forays into the wild and unknown.

From The Wall Street Journal

Investing platform Webull last year launched contracts tied to bitcoin prices and economic reports and recently made a foray into popular culture, listing contracts tied to the Oscars and Grammys.

From The Wall Street Journal

Steenhuisen's first foray into politics came in 1999 when he was appointed a councillor in his home city of Durban, before rising to become party leader 20 years later.

From BBC

Slovan's foray into the Champions League last season was a proud moment - their first appearance since independence in 1993 when they qualified as Czechoslovak First League champions.

From BBC

Two years later he made a rare foray into fiction with "A Couple," inspired by the relationship and correspondence between Leo Tolstoy and his wife, Sophia.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.