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Showing results for fouling. Search instead for Befouling.
Synonyms

fouling

American  
[fou-ling] / ˈfaʊ lɪŋ /

noun

  1. an encrusted deposit, especially on a submerged object, as the hull of a ship.

Other Word Forms

  • nonfouling adjective

Etymology

Origin of fouling

1350–1400; Middle English foulinge; foul, -ing 1

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.

They said: "If members of the public witness any instances of dog fouling, we would encourage them to report it by completing a form on our website."

From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026

The 24-year-old wasn't finished yet and his break into the area ended with Kochalski fouling him, conceding a penalty that Gordon converted with ease.

From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026

Posting on social media, Hay St Mary's football club in Hay-on-Wye said dog fouling was "an ongoing problem and we will not accept it any longer".

From BBC • Jan. 31, 2026

Dennis Eckersley’s first pitch was the only one close enough to hit and Davis just missed it, fouling if off.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 28, 2025

Sympathy lamps were mixed with candles, giving the room a natural light without fouling the air with smoke.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.