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intentional foul

American

noun

Basketball.

a foul deliberately committed by a defensive player to stop play, tactically conceding the penalty of having the fouled player attempt the awarded foul shots in return for possession of the ball.

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.

On both occasions, Philadelphia's claims of an intentional foul were rejected by officials.

From Barron's • Jan. 25, 2026

After an intentional foul, she iced the victory with two more free throws.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2024

Indiana scored the first six points after halftime, but Maryland answered with a four-point possession thanks to an intentional foul by Tamar Bates.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 31, 2023

McDaniel and Fletcher were given technical fouls, and Cardoso was called for an intentional foul.

From Washington Post • Nov. 11, 2022

And the referee signaled that Ben was to shoot two foul shots for an intentional foul.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

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