foxing

verb

Definition of foxingnext
present participle of fox
1
as in puzzling
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty she won't be foxed by such telemarketing tricks

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in outfoxing
to get the better of through cleverness no confidence man will ever fox me and get my hard-earned money

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of foxing Aged glass can develop dark spots and edge deterioration known as foxing. — Rachel Silva, Martha Stewart, 14 Aug. 2026 That will require out-foxing Patriots defensive play-caller Zak Kuhr, whose pressure game plans suffocated the Chargers and Texans the past two weeks. — Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 23 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foxing
  1. puzzling
  2. outfoxing
  3. baffling
  4. deceiving
  5. perplexing
  6. defeating
  7. confusing
  8. outwitting
Verb
  • Researchers are still puzzling through what happened to the ancient Maya civilization, which mysteriously dwindled.
    — Terrence McCoy, Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2026
  • To read her book is to be reminded that childhood can be a puzzling passage for anyone, even in an ostensibly simpler time and place.
    — Danny Heitman, Christian Science Monitor, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of puzzling
Verb
  • Both candidates attempted to court voters by outfoxing each other in their support of the then-former president and the race became increasingly negative.
    — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of outfoxing
Verb
  • Their admirable determination makes Diamantis’ flight from the United States baffling for us and humiliating for them.
    — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The sequel, on the other hand, is shaped by baffling decisions from director Susanne Bier and cinematographer Simon Duggan that render the film antiseptic.
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of baffling
Verb
  • But looks are deceiving in this case – just like the 3X Plus and 3X before it, the trailer stretches out via three individual telescopic segments that emerge at the push of a button.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Facebook’s lawyers argued that the state failed to prove whether people were actually harmed by these deceiving statements.
    — Mikella Schuettler, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of deceiving
Verb
  • Gibson Nash, 21, was charged with first-degree murder after a series of perplexing events eventually led police to his mother’s bloodied body.
    — Natasha Holt, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • But there were also perplexing moments that punctured the gravitas of the event (even for an event built around hand-to-hand combat).
    — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 15 June 2026
Definition of perplexing
Verb
  • Fernandes points out the prevalence of tactical voting — when voters abandon their preferred candidate for one with a better chance of winning or defeating a rival — as an explanation for the first-round surprise in early October.
    — Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Eisenkot argued that Israel needed to concentrate its military resources on defeating Hamas in the south before embarking on another major conflict.
    — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of defeating
Verb
  • The Justice Department has argued in its suit that the name overlap risks confusing voters.
    — Willem Marx, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Cyan could theoretically fill the visual gap without confusing road users.
    — Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of confusing
Verb
  • Similar storm-clouds are now gathering around Sánchez, a canny politician known for outwitting his opponents.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 21 June 2026
  • Bob Markle was good at outwitting violators.
    — Dave Duffey, Outdoor Life, 26 Mar. 2026
Definition of outwitting

Browse Nearby Words

foxiness
foxing
fox-trot
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Cite this Entry

“Foxing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foxing. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on foxing

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about foxing

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