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
Opponents of the conversion therapy ban argued the changes discussed Wednesday still run afoul of the Supreme Court's decision and undermine First Amendment protections.
—
Caroline Cummings, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2026
Three nonprofit tax experts told the Herald/Times that the foundation’s spending could jeopardize its tax-exempt status by running afoul of laws that regulate how much charities can spend on lobbying or politics.
—Alexandra Glorioso, Miami Herald, 7 Apr. 2026
The court ruled against them and found their claims against LinkedIn had no merit, and in fact, this individual’s own data practices ran afoul of the law.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 6 Apr. 2026
The San Pasqual say that Poway is running afoul of both laws.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
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Caroline Cummings, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2026
Three nonprofit tax experts told the Herald/Times that the foundation’s spending could jeopardize its tax-exempt status by running afoul of laws that regulate how much charities can spend on lobbying or politics.
—Alexandra Glorioso, Miami Herald, 7 Apr. 2026
The court ruled against them and found their claims against LinkedIn had no merit, and in fact, this individual’s own data practices ran afoul of the law.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 6 Apr. 2026
The San Pasqual say that Poway is running afoul of both laws.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
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 14 Apr. 2026.
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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