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
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.
McConnell accepts the pick, pulls up from the foul line with acres of space, and drains it before Karl-Anthony Towns can meaningfully contest. Pacers 83, Knicks 81. Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 24 May 2025 The volume of the arena became a major story in the final minutes as Brunson kept earning trips to the foul line. Tony East, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025 Larsson had 16 points built on a 9-of-11 effort from the foul line. Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 11 July 2025 In the last two games of this series — both wins for Oklahoma City — Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander lived at the foul line, with 47 foul shots between them. Joe Vardon, New York Times, 17 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for foul line

Word History

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of foul line was in 1868

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Foul line.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foul%20line. Accessed 20 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

foul line

noun
1
: either of two straight lines running from the rear corner of home plate through first and third base on to the boundary of a baseball field
2
: a line across which a player must not step (as when bowling or shooting a free throw)
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!