afoul of
preposition
1
: in or into conflict with
ran afoul of the law
2
: in or into collision or entanglement with
Examples of afoul of in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That is, unless the facility, built by Scripps Clinic and opened in 1977, runs afoul of the state’s seismic deadline in 2030.
—
Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Sep. 2025
In addition to the back-and-forth with suppliers, Boohoo has reportedly run afoul of consumers’ expectations around reverse logistics.
—Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 24 Sep. 2025
Some J6ers have already run afoul of the law again.
—Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2025
The law, along with similar state school threat laws, has faced First Amendment criticism for potentially running afoul of Supreme Court precedent.
—Angele Latham, Nashville Tennessean, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for afoul of
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Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Sep. 2025
In addition to the back-and-forth with suppliers, Boohoo has reportedly run afoul of consumers’ expectations around reverse logistics.
—Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 24 Sep. 2025
Some J6ers have already run afoul of the law again.
—Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2025
The law, along with similar state school threat laws, has faced First Amendment criticism for potentially running afoul of Supreme Court precedent.
—Angele Latham, Nashville Tennessean, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for afoul of
Cite this Entry
“Afoul of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/afoul%20of. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
afoul of
preposition1
: in or into collision or entanglement with
one ship ran afoul of the other
2
: in or into conflict with
they fell afoul of the law
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