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

There were “no immediate signs of foul play or homicide,” according to Sheriff-Coroner Shannon D. Dicus.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

An autopsy did not reveal any evidence of foul play.

From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026

Nanos’s words offered a grim signal that foul play was involved in the disappearance of Guthrie, an 84-year-old with health issues who, her family says, relies on daily medication for survival.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026

"Based on the investigation to date, there is no indication of foul play," police said, adding they will continue to examine what led to his death.

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026

They said they didn’t want publicity, and there was no question of foul play, according to the police.

From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart