foreclose

UK: /fɔː^rˈkləʊz/ US: /fɔrˈkloʊz/ ,(fôr klōz′, fōr-)

Inflections of 'foreclose' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

forecloses

v 3rd person singular

foreclosing

v pres p

foreclosed

v past

foreclosed

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

fore•close /fɔrˈkloʊz/   v., -closed, -clos•ing. 

1. Law (of a bank) to take possession of (property or holdings bought with a mortgage): [no obj]:
   The bank foreclosed on them.
   [ ~ + obj]:
   to foreclose a mortgage.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

fore•close  (fôr klōz′, fōr-), v., -closed, -clos•ing. 
v.t. 

1. Law
   • to deprive (a mortgagor or pledgor) of the right to redeem his or her property, esp. on failure to make payment on a mortgage when due, ownership of property then passing to the mortgagee.
   • to take away the right to redeem (a mortgage or pledge).
2. to shut out;
   exclude;
   bar.
3. to hinder or prevent, as from doing something.
4. to establish an exclusive claim to.
5. to close, settle, or answer beforehand.

v.i. 

6. Law to foreclose a mortgage or pledge.

• Latin claudere)
• Old French forclos, past participle of forclore to exclude, equivalent. to for- out + clore to shut (
• Middle English foreclosen 1250–1300

fore•clos′a•ble, adj. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

foreclose / fɔːˈkləʊz/ verb

1. to deprive (a mortgagor, etc) of the right to redeem (a mortgage or pledge)
2. (transitive) to shut out; bar
3. (transitive) to prevent or hinder

Etymology: 15th Century: from Old French forclore, from for- out + clore to close, from Latin claudere

foreˈclosable adjective

foreclosure / fɔːˈkləʊʒə/ noun