as in contaminated
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in stained
to make dirty
the mechanic fouled the bath towels with axle grease
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2
as in polluted
to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable
industrial pollution fouling the water supply
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3
as in humiliated
to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes
the minister was irreparably fouled by baseless rumors and allegations
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4
as in decomposed
to go through decomposition
unless you want to smell the organic refuse as it fouls, locate the compost heap away from the house
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fouled
Adjective
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So far, 96 of those samples were negative by polymerase chain reaction testing, or PCR, which detects live virus as well as inactive viral particles, indicating that those cheeses probably weren’t made with contaminated milk.—
Brenda Goodman,
CNN,
14 Mar. 2025 -
Once notified of the problem, the three local governments reacted by curtailing use of their contaminated wells and relying more on uncontaminated wells.—
Kevin Spear,
Orlando Sentinel,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Drugs, success, and conflicting personalities had poisoned members’ relationships.—
Aaron Gilbreath,
SPIN,
31 Dec. 2024
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The iconic American bird was almost wiped out in the 1960s due to the pesticide DDT, which poisoned the eagles and made their eggs weak and flimsy.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The coins were apparently stored in a leather pouch, which had disintegrated over time, and concealed within or behind a kitchen wall, according to the Jerusalem Post.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Jan. 2025
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Roberto Mancini did make up with Carlos Tevez (or, at least, was willing to tolerate him) after their relationship at Manchester City appeared to have disintegrated.—
Daniel Taylor,
The Athletic,
29 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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But publishers are often slow to retract tainted papers, even when alerted to obvious fraud.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
31 Jan. 2025
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Publishers, however, are often slow to retract tainted papers, even when alerted to obvious signs of fraud.—
Guillaume Cabanac,
The Conversation,
29 Jan. 2025
Verb
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When the tile degraded, the gaps were filled in with livestock bones.—
Sonja Anderson,
Smithsonian Magazine,
23 Dec. 2024
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That’s good news, considering phosphorous pollution has degraded water quality in the Everglades for decades and remains a challenge.—
Rebecca Blackwell,
Sun Sentinel,
19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Two major developments in the mid-1800s showed why impure water is dangerous.—
Bill Sullivan,
The Conversation,
27 Jan. 2025
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The evocation of the boy’s impure actions, as well as the undertow of sexuality in both his parish priest’s solicitude and his father’s violence, caught the attention of the censors, who typically busied themselves outlawing pulp erotica.—
Sam Sacks,
Harper's Magazine,
2 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Fouled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fouled. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.
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