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 project is also the subject of a court challenge brought by The Cultural Landscape Foundation, which said repainting the bottom of the Reflecting Pool blue without first undergoing relevant reviews runs afoul of federal preservation laws governing historic sites.
—
Arkansas Online, 7 June 2026
But city officials say the sheriff’s approach would run afoul of a contract.
—Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 3 June 2026
Supervisors have awarded grants to groups that have run afoul of state rules for charities, and some grants have lacked documentation showing they were properly spent.
—Kristen Taketa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 May 2026
The odds are that many of the state-level laws would run afoul of a federal mandate, and a tsunami of legal cases would arise as a tussle between federal law and state law is undertaken.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
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Arkansas Online, 7 June 2026
But city officials say the sheriff’s approach would run afoul of a contract.
—Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 3 June 2026
Supervisors have awarded grants to groups that have run afoul of state rules for charities, and some grants have lacked documentation showing they were properly spent.
—Kristen Taketa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 May 2026
The odds are that many of the state-level laws would run afoul of a federal mandate, and a tsunami of legal cases would arise as a tussle between federal law and state law is undertaken.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 30 May 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 8 Jun. 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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