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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Consumption of contaminated food can cause salmonellosis, the most common symptoms of which are diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after consumption.—
Meghan Overdeep,
Southern Living,
22 May 2025 -
Most people infected with salmonella start developing symptoms 12 to 72 hours after eating the contaminated product.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
21 May 2025
Verb
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That number includes children, who represent 16 percent of those poisoned and 27 percent of all fatalities.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Apr. 2025
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And guess what, hospitals are seeing cases of vitamin A toxicity — of kids poisoned by being fed too many vitamins instead of being vaccinated.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
5 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The premier Copley Cup — which for decades drew the nation’s elite men’s varsity eights for an early-season east/west showdown – has disintegrated into an alumni race.—
Bill Center,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Mar. 2025
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The second phase was meant to pave the way to an end to the war, although the truce disintegrated when Israeli forces resumed airstrikes on Gaza.—
Chantal Da Silva,
NBC news,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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According to the company, 99.5% of the tainted butter was recovered before reaching consumers.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
10 Apr. 2025
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One new initiative the researchers have undertaken is to focus on items in the collection with histories that include some contact with tainted dealers.—
Graham Bowley,
New York Times,
18 Mar. 2025
Verb
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One manager, in particular, repeatedly degraded the workers, calling them racial slurs and making comments about their work ethic, the lawsuit said.—
Jennifer Rodriguez,
Kansas City Star,
20 Mar. 2025
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If global warming is uncontrolled, 90% of all coral reefs in the world will be functionally degraded by 2050.—
Ian Dexter Palmer,
Forbes,
20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Farmers or middlemen also frequently adulterated milk, watering it down to stretch supplies—with impure water likely to introduce further pathogens—or adding toxic substances, like formaldehyde or chalk, meant to conceal spoilage or make milk appear whiter.—
Made by History,
Time,
29 Apr. 2025
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What was considered holy at one time was considered impure in other epochs.—
Isaac Bashevis Singer,
Harpers Magazine,
26 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Fouled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fouled. Accessed 1 Jun. 2025.
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