as in inflicting
to offer (something fake, useless, or inferior) as genuine, useful, or valuable
shopkeepers who foist shoddy souvenirs on unsuspecting tourists
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 foisting
In the vein of each family dwelling, the village courtroom becomes an amphitheater of sorts, foisting upon its participants a sense of outward performance, while simultaneously exposing them to the elements.
—
Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 12 Apr. 2026
This quite plainly is a group of adult activists foisting their political causes onto the next generation, defining students in their own image, and asking them to carry these burdens for them.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
The suit, filed in late December by the New Mexico attorney general’s office, is the latest salvo in the state’s fight against oil and gas executives accused of foisting old wells onto the public.
—Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 22 Jan. 2026
Thirsty attendees jostled through the rooms, foisting their shoulders through a sea of supplicants, holding out their glasses for a few precious drops of carbonic Trousseau, or Xarel-lo pet-nat, or ramato Pinot Gris, or whole-cluster Marquette.
—Senior Wine Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 Mar. 2018
Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 12 Apr. 2026
This quite plainly is a group of adult activists foisting their political causes onto the next generation, defining students in their own image, and asking them to carry these burdens for them.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
The suit, filed in late December by the New Mexico attorney general’s office, is the latest salvo in the state’s fight against oil and gas executives accused of foisting old wells onto the public.
—Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 22 Jan. 2026
Thirsty attendees jostled through the rooms, foisting their shoulders through a sea of supplicants, holding out their glasses for a few precious drops of carbonic Trousseau, or Xarel-lo pet-nat, or ramato Pinot Gris, or whole-cluster Marquette.
—Senior Wine Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 Mar. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foisting
Verb
-
Saddam towered over Iraq’s political regime for nearly 30 years, plunging the country into multiple destructive wars, persecuting his own citizens and inflicting widespread trauma and suffering.—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The proposals, announced Wednesday, underscore the economic damage the Iran war is inflicting on Europe, which only recently emerged from the energy crunch precipitated by Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.—
Hanna Ziady,
CNN Money,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Despite outstanding architecture, what makes this imposing building truly notorious is its storied past.—
Regina Zumarraga,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Apr. 2026
-
While Lady Gaga took the theme literally, slipping into a huge, imposing fuchsia-pink ensemble, others played it simple.—
Blanche Marcel,
Vanity Fair,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Shu can’t stop wishing aloud that her friends’ good fortune was actually her own.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Equity cannot mean handing someone a license and wishing them luck in a billion-dollar industry.—
Sonya M. Harper,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Foisting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foisting. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
