technical foul

noun

basketball

: a foul that is assessed to a player, coach, or team typically for unsportsmanlike conduct (such as arguing with an official or taunting an opponent) and does not usually involve physical contact with an opponent while the ball is in play

called also technical

compare personal foul

Examples of technical foul in a Sentence

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.

At the end of the game, Green picked up two technical fouls — his third and fourth of the year — for his first ejection of the season. —

Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 17 Nov. 2024 McBride received a technical foul for a tough hit on Mabrey in the second quarter. —

Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 2 Oct. 2024 Dončić got fired up enough to get a technical foul in Game 2 that gave the Clippers the lead entering the fourth quarter. —

Law Murray, The Athletic, 30 Apr. 2024 With 1:45 remaining in the first half, Braun taunted after a slam dunk that put Kansas up 44-29 and received a technical foul. —

Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 2 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for technical foul

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of technical foul was in 1896

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Technical foul.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/technical%20foul. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation