1. to take legal possession of a property when the owner fails to make mortgage payments
Usage: legal term
2. to prevent or rule out a possibility or course of action
Usage: formal

Examples

• The bank forecloses on homes when owners can’t pay their mortgages.
• After three missed payments, the lender began the process to foreclose.
• Rising interest rates mean more families face having their homes foreclosed.
• His reckless behavior forecloses any chance of promotion.
• The new evidence forecloses the possibility of an accident.
• Poor planning forecloses many future opportunities.