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
Calling oneself a socialist ran afoul of America's holy political trilogy: capitalism, liberty, and God.
—
Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025
The case demonstrated the challenges state lawmakers face when trying to balance complying with the Voting Rights Act without relying too much on race during the drawing the political lines, which can run afoul of the Constitution's Equal Protection Clause.
—June 27, CBS News, 27 June 2025
He’s also run afoul of celebrities like Elijah Wood and Dylan Sprouse, who have called out his alleged behavior in interviews and on social media.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 26 June 2025
The administration's lawsuit, filed in Baltimore, argues that the standing order runs afoul of U.S. Supreme Court precedent governing the standards for how courts can issue injunctions and flouts congressional intent.
—Nate Raymond, USA Today, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for afoul of
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Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025
The case demonstrated the challenges state lawmakers face when trying to balance complying with the Voting Rights Act without relying too much on race during the drawing the political lines, which can run afoul of the Constitution's Equal Protection Clause.
—June 27, CBS News, 27 June 2025
He’s also run afoul of celebrities like Elijah Wood and Dylan Sprouse, who have called out his alleged behavior in interviews and on social media.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 26 June 2025
The administration's lawsuit, filed in Baltimore, argues that the standing order runs afoul of U.S. Supreme Court precedent governing the standards for how courts can issue injunctions and flouts congressional intent.
—Nate Raymond, USA Today, 26 June 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 2 Jul. 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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