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
Advertisement But major airports refused to display Noem’s video because of its explicitly partisan political messaging, which may actually run afoul of the law.
—
Chad De Guzman, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
Texas has run afoul of that law twice over the past decade.
—Silas Allen, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2025
Noem’s overtly partisan message may run afoul of the law, legal experts told McClatchy News.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2025
Some journalists argued that such activity as posting a call for tips on social media would run afoul of the rules.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2025
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Chad De Guzman, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
Texas has run afoul of that law twice over the past decade.
—Silas Allen, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2025
Noem’s overtly partisan message may run afoul of the law, legal experts told McClatchy News.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2025
Some journalists argued that such activity as posting a call for tips on social media would run afoul of the rules.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 13 Oct. 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 30 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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