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
Critics, meanwhile, have said detainees at the facility are forced to endure unsafe, unsanitary and inhumane living conditions and that Alligator Alcatraz runs afoul of environmental laws
The remote detention facility is expected to cost Florida approximately $450 million annually to operate.
—
Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Aug. 2025
Some of the largest asset managers are wary of pre-disclosure for regulatory reasons; a way forward would be for regulators, such as the SEC in the US, to offer assurances that such pre-disclosure would not run afoul of the rules.
—Sarah Keohane Williamson, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
The Energy Department and the EPA seem to have run afoul of four laws in particular that may be tricky for the administration to get around.
—H. Christopher Frey, The Conversation, 12 Aug. 2025
That move came in response to a federal judge’s ruling that ICE agents were conducting raids that likely ran afoul of constitutional protections against unreasonable seizures.
—Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for afoul of
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Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Aug. 2025
Some of the largest asset managers are wary of pre-disclosure for regulatory reasons; a way forward would be for regulators, such as the SEC in the US, to offer assurances that such pre-disclosure would not run afoul of the rules.
—Sarah Keohane Williamson, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
The Energy Department and the EPA seem to have run afoul of four laws in particular that may be tricky for the administration to get around.
—H. Christopher Frey, The Conversation, 12 Aug. 2025
That move came in response to a federal judge’s ruling that ICE agents were conducting raids that likely ran afoul of constitutional protections against unreasonable seizures.
—Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 8 Aug. 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 20 Aug. 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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