How to Say "foul play" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “foul play” is “trampas” — B1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
El profesor descubrió que algunos estudiantes hacían trampas en el examen final.
The professor discovered that some students were cheating on the final exam.
No me gusta jugar con él porque siempre hace trampas.
I don't like playing with him because he always uses tricks (cheats).
Usaron trampas fiscales para evadir impuestos, lo cual es ilegal.
They used tax tricks (schemes) to evade taxes, which is illegal.
Always Plural
Even when you are talking about a single act of cheating, Spanish usually uses the plural form 'trampas' with the verb 'hacer' (to do/make).
Using the Singular
Mistake: “Hizo una trampa en el juego.”
Correction: Hizo trampas en el juego. (The singular 'una trampa' usually means a physical trap or snare.)
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