verb

foreclose

faw-KLOHZ

verb

To take legal action to repossess property when a borrower has failed to keep up mortgage payments.

"The bank foreclosed on the house after months of missed payments."

To prevent or rule out a possibility in advance.

"His early decision foreclosed any chance of compromise."

How to Use Foreclose

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo take back a property over unpaid debt, or more generally, to rule something out.

Common pairings

foreclose on a house foreclose a possibility

foreclosed past tense, forecloses singular

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Can you complete this real example?

The bank _____ on the house after months of missed payments.

From Old French forclore ("to exclude"), from for- ("outside") + clore ("to close").

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