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

“Cheater! I was distracted. You saw I was distracted. That is foul play.”

From Literature

Mikhail's family believe he was the victim of foul play, but after a year-long criminal investigation, the cause of his death remains unexplained.

From BBC

Last season the Premier League's Key Match Incidents Panel deemed there had been seven errors on serious foul play.

From BBC

The referee did not show Senesi a card having deemed it to not be foul play.

From BBC

The UK government last year ruled out foul play.

From Barron's