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
At this point, the most scientists can hope for is that the US legal system ultimately acknowledges that the decision to cut their funding runs afoul of these congressional directives.
—
ArsTechnica, 9 July 2025
Most Americans don’t invest enough to run afoul of the annual dollar contribution limits.
—Russ Wiles, AZCentral.com, 8 July 2025
Some locations have run afoul of rules about hours, work permits and rest breaks in the past.
—Alexandria Burris, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
For similar reasons, the Modell Law might run afoul of the Privileges and Immunities Clause found in Article 4, Section 2.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 30 June 2025
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ArsTechnica, 9 July 2025
Most Americans don’t invest enough to run afoul of the annual dollar contribution limits.
—Russ Wiles, AZCentral.com, 8 July 2025
Some locations have run afoul of rules about hours, work permits and rest breaks in the past.
—Alexandria Burris, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
For similar reasons, the Modell Law might run afoul of the Privileges and Immunities Clause found in Article 4, Section 2.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 30 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 26 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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