Meaning & use
fox
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Meanings
nouncountable
A wild animal with a pointed face, pointed ears, and a long bushy tail, related to dogs.
Grammar: Countable: 'a fox', 'two foxes'.
Patterns
- a fox
- the fox
- foxes
We saw a fox run across the field.
Foxes are known for their cleverness.
verbtransitiveinformal
To trick or deceive someone by being more clever than they are.
Grammar: Takes an object: 'fox someone'. Often used in the passive: 'be foxed'.
Patterns
- fox someone
- be foxed by something
He foxed his opponents with a clever move.
I was completely foxed by the riddle.
Word forms
| plural | foxes |
|---|---|
| third person singular | foxes |
| past tense | foxed |
| past participle | foxed |
| -ing form | foxing |
Common combinations
- a fox hunt
- The traditional fox hunt was banned in many countries.
- sly as a fox
- He's as sly as a fox when it comes to business deals.
- fox someone
- The magician foxed the audience with his tricks.
- be foxed by
- I'm foxed by this crossword clue.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
Practice
What does the verb 'fox' mean?
Choose one answer.
'Fox' as a verb means to trick or deceive. It does not mean to hunt foxes (that would be 'hunt foxes') or to move quickly or make a sound.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “fox”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.