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

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

From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026

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

From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026

Van Graan said that foul play incidents were missed in his side's semi-final loss to Bordeaux-Begles, and called for more consistency in the replays shown to the officials.

From BBC • May 5, 2026

In one viral TikTok video, members of a senior-living community accuse their ex-friend of foul play: taking tiles out of turn and refusing to reveal her “winning” hands.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

Though the jockey was probably not at fault for Exhibit’s change of course, it was common for stewards to briefly suspend riders caught in his situation to guard against foul play.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand