foul play

Foul play refers to dishonest, unethical, or illegal actions that are intended to harm someone or to gain an unfair advantage. In contexts such as sports, it involves actions that violate the rules to achieve a win. In criminal investigations, foul play typically suggests that someone's injury or death was caused by another person's deliberate wrongdoing, rather than an accident or natural causes. Overall, it implies a breach of trust or fairness, often associated with deceitful behavior that impacts others negatively.