to foil

Examples

• All

• Thus their aim of returning to the old status quo was foiled and Sparta now slumped further into decline.

• A group of ninjas foiled an attempted counterfeiting operation.

  Beverly Hills Ninja (1997)

• Sometimes, despite our best efforts, changing circumstances can foil future plans.

  Academic text (2017)

• I get away and you foil my next plan in an even more heroic way.

  Teen Titans Go! To the Movies (2018)

• Such an approach might have helped foil the 9/11 attack.

  Academic text (2008)

• These men waited for them to make their move then foiled a crime.

  Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

• However, her arrest was foiled by the intervention of some of the town's "leading citizens."

  Academic text (2004)

• Did you know that 85% of all kidnappings are foiled by the cops?

  Death of Evil (2009)

• Over the course of 10 years, American authorities foiled more than two dozen al-Qaeda plots.

  Academic text (2011)

• Martin Hortensius had tried to observe the transit, but was foiled by bad weather.

  Academic text (2006)

Synonyms

S

to spoil

vsto foil

209 2.8

To make something less good or enjoyable

stops success directly rather than only reducing quality or value

C

to cross

vsto foil

146 5.9

To stop someone's plans or make them fail

acts to block final success not just cause problems

T

to thwart

vsto foil

77 7.4

To stop someone from doing what they want

blocks achieving intended outcome rather than mere annoyance

F

to frustrate

vsto foil

19 3.6

Stop someone from doing something they planned to do

works to stop success itself rather than only create delays

B

to baffle

vsto foil

3 6.1

To stop someone's plans or efforts from succeeding

prevents success by direct blocking rather than mere confusion

S

to scotch

vsto foil

2 8.1

To stop a plan or action from happening

stops success itself rather than only delaying events

B

to bilk

vsto foil

• Archaic

1 9.9

Stop someone's plans or efforts from succeeding

prevents success generally, not only by unfair methods

O

to obstruct someone's plans

vsto foil

1 5.6

To stop someone on purpose from doing what they planned

aims at stopping success broadly, not only targeted plans

D

to derail a plan

vsto foil

1 5.2

Cause a plan to fail or stop moving forward

hinders achieving goals overall, not only breaking progress

C

to counterwork

vsto foil

1 8.2

Act against something to stop or slow it

works to stop success broadly rather than simply oppose effects

Antonyms

F

to facilitate

• Formal

168 4.9

To make a task or process easier and help it happen

A

assist

38 1.8

Help given to someone to make a task easier

Compounds

A

aluminum foil

• US

19 1.1

A thin sheet of metal used to wrap or cover food for cooking and storage

T

tin foil

13 1.0

A thin sheet of metal used to wrap or cover food

G

gold foil

• Specialized

2 3.9

Very thin sheets of gold used to decorate things like frames and art

F

feather-foil

1 9.9

A small water plant with thin leaves that look like feathers

How Thoroughly

defeat

309 2.5

to thwart

77 7.4

to foil

35 5.5

to hinder

75 3.6

to disrupt

244 4.4

Surface Forms

Etymology