foul play

American  

noun

1. any treacherous or unfair dealing, especially involving murder.

   We feared that he had met with foul play.

2. unfair conduct in a game.

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foul play British  

noun

1. unfair or treacherous conduct esp with violence

2. a violation of the rules in a game or sport

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foul play Idioms  

1. Unfair or treacherous action, especially involving violence. For example, The police suspected he had met with foul play. This term originally was and still is applied to unfair conduct in a sport or game and was being used figuratively by the late 1500s. Shakespeare used it in The Tempest (1:2): “What foul play had we, that we came from thence?”

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Etymology

Origin of foul play

First recorded in 1600–10

Example Sentences

A statement from the Premier League Match Centre said: "The referee's call of yellow card to Havertz was checked and confirmed by VAR – with the challenge deemed not to be serious foul play."

From BBC • May 18, 2026

“But obviously the pattern of foul play continues,” Bouchouev said in an email to MarketWatch.

From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026

The report confirmed there were no “obvious signs” of foul play and that “nothing seemed out of place or disturbed” in Brendon’s home, which appeared to be under renovation.

From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026

An autopsy did not reveal any evidence of foul play.

From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026

Dewey’s own initial contact with foul play in Finney County occurred in 1947.

From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote