foil a plan

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "foil a plan" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when describing the act of thwarting or preventing a plan from being executed successfully. Example: "The detective was able to foil the criminal's plan to rob the bank just in time."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Interior Ministry officials said last month that his arrest had helped foil a plan for a car-bomb attack on a hotel in Yemen where Americans were staying.

The New York Times

The first, 1988's "Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!," found Frank working to foil a plan to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II at a baseball game while she's visiting the United States.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

Last month, they claimed to have foiled a plan to hijack an airplane and blow up a bus.

The New York Times

Among other plots, Jordan foiled a plan to bomb hotels and tourist sites frequented by Westerners during the celebrations marking the approach of the year 2000.

The New York Times

In 2000, German and French authorities foiled a plan by al-Qaeda-linked operatives to target the Strasbourg Cathedral and Christmas market on New Year's Eve.

The Washington Post

It also claimed that the police foiled a plan to take over government buildings and declare an independent state in southern Egypt ("with the previous promise of recognition from the United States and some European countries").

The New York Times

A passenger alerted the crew that Ms. Mayo had pulled from her carry-on luggage a bottle of water, an item banned since British officials announced they had foiled a plan involving liquid explosives.

The New York Times

Federal forces had tracked a group of militants there, and the F.S.B., Russia's domestic intelligence service, later reported that it had foiled a plan to assassinate the republic's new leaders.

The New York Times

Afghans Stop Plot to Kill U.S. Envoy, Officials Say Afghan officials said they foiled a plan by three Pakistani men to assassinate the American ambassador to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, just minutes before the attack was to take place.

The New York Times

The kind of global cooperation required in the future, the president said, was in evidence when the authorities foiled a plan by Osama bin Laden, the Saudi exile living in Afghanistan, to smuggle explosive materials into the United States before the New Year.

The New York Times

Prison guards and the police were congratulated after foiling a planned escape by murderer Brian Lawrence, who communicated with accomplices using codes hidden in sudoku puzzles.

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "foil a plan" when you want to emphasize the act of preventing a scheme or plot from succeeding, often through clever or strategic intervention. For instance, security agencies "foil a plan" for terrorist attack.

Common error

Avoid using "foil a plan" when the intervention is merely a delay or a minor inconvenience. The phrase suggests a significant and often decisive prevention of a planned action, not just a temporary setback.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "foil a plan" functions primarily as a verb phrase, where "foil" acts as a transitive verb taking "a plan" as its direct object. Ludwig AI confirms its proper usage in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

70%

Wiki

15%

Science

5%

Less common in

Formal & Business

4%

Encyclopedias

3%

Reference

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "foil a plan" is a grammatically sound and frequently used phrase that describes the act of preventing a scheme or plot from succeeding. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it is widely found in news and media, as well as general writing, and is generally considered to be of neutral register. While alternatives like "thwart a plan" exist, the core meaning remains consistent: to effectively prevent a planned action from occurring. Remember to use this phrase when you wish to convey decisive intervention and the successful prevention of a scheme.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

thwart a plan

Replaces "foil" with "thwart", offering a more formal synonym.

prevent a plan

Focuses on stopping the plan from happening in the first place.

derail a plan

Implies causing the plan to go off track and fail to achieve its objectives.

disrupt a plan

Emphasizes the interruption and disorganization of the plan.

frustrate a plan

Highlights the act of causing annoyance and preventing the plan's success.

sabotage a plan

Suggests a more deliberate and destructive disruption of the plan.

obstruct a plan

Highlights the act of creating obstacles to hinder the plan's progress.

undermine a plan

Suggests weakening the plan from within, leading to its eventual failure.

ruin a plan

Indicates a complete and irreversible destruction of the plan.

nullify a plan

Suggests rendering the plan invalid or without legal force.

FAQs

What does it mean to "foil a plan"?

To "foil a plan" means to successfully prevent a scheme or plot from being carried out. It implies thwarting someone's intentions and ensuring their planned action does not succeed.

How can I use "foil a plan" in a sentence?

You can use "foil a plan" in a sentence like this: "The detective was able to "thwart a plan" to rob the bank just in time."

What are some synonyms for "foil a plan"?

Some synonyms for "foil a plan" include "thwart a plan", "sabotage a plan", or "disrupt a plan".

Is "foil a plan" formal or informal?

"Foil a plan" is suitable for both formal and informal contexts, though more formal synonyms like "thwart a plan" might be preferred in highly formal writing.