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
Some of those are still ongoing, and structured to avoiding running afoul of the DEI rules.
—
Joanne Kenen, NPR, 25 Nov. 2025
Trying to help Gary and his family, Judy and Nick run afoul of powerful businessman Milton Lynxley (David Strathairn), who has designs on expanding Tundratown.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 25 Nov. 2025
The French government has also asked the European Union to launch an investigation into whether Shein is running afoul of European rules to foster safer digital spaces that protect the fundamental rights of internet users.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 21 Nov. 2025
Publicizing the cards arguably runs afoul of several provisions in the CBA.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 18 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for afoul of
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Joanne Kenen, NPR, 25 Nov. 2025
Trying to help Gary and his family, Judy and Nick run afoul of powerful businessman Milton Lynxley (David Strathairn), who has designs on expanding Tundratown.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 25 Nov. 2025
The French government has also asked the European Union to launch an investigation into whether Shein is running afoul of European rules to foster safer digital spaces that protect the fundamental rights of internet users.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 21 Nov. 2025
Publicizing the cards arguably runs afoul of several provisions in the CBA.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 18 Nov. 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 1 Dec. 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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