foul line
noun
1
: either of two straight lines extending from the rear corner of home plate through the outer corners of first and third base respectively and prolonged to the boundary of a baseball field
2
: a line across a bowling alley that a player must not step over when delivering the ball
3
: either of two lines on a basketball court parallel to and 15 feet from the backboards behind which a player must stand while shooting a free throw
Examples of foul line in a Sentence
The ball landed just inside the right-field foul line.
Recent Examples on the Web
Unlike Harden, Herro was largely true with his stroke, while Harden compensated with his trips to the foul line.
—
Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2025
Earlier in the fourth, Malone had lost his patience with his second unit as the Suns paraded to the foul line, sending Jokic to the table with 9:01 left.
—Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 8 Mar. 2025
Across 1,196 career contests in an 18-year NBA run (997 starts), Mutombo logged regular season averages of 9.8 points on 51.8 percent shooting from the floor and 68.4 percent shooting from the foul line, 10.3 rebounds, 2.8 blocks, and 1.0 assists a night.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 15 Feb. 2025
The first-time All-Star starter erupted for 42 points, 10 assists, and six rebounds on 14-of-27 shooting from the field and 9-of-10 from the foul line, leading the Knicks to a 124-118 victory — a bounce-back win after Saturday’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers and their sixth win in seven games.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 4 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foul line
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2025
Earlier in the fourth, Malone had lost his patience with his second unit as the Suns paraded to the foul line, sending Jokic to the table with 9:01 left.
—Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 8 Mar. 2025
Across 1,196 career contests in an 18-year NBA run (997 starts), Mutombo logged regular season averages of 9.8 points on 51.8 percent shooting from the floor and 68.4 percent shooting from the foul line, 10.3 rebounds, 2.8 blocks, and 1.0 assists a night.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 15 Feb. 2025
The first-time All-Star starter erupted for 42 points, 10 assists, and six rebounds on 14-of-27 shooting from the field and 9-of-10 from the foul line, leading the Knicks to a 124-118 victory — a bounce-back win after Saturday’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers and their sixth win in seven games.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 4 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foul line
Cite this Entry
“Foul line.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foul%20line. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share