fall foul of
idiom
: to get into trouble because of failing to do what is required by (the law, a rule, etc.)
After leaving school she fell foul of the law and spent time in jail.
companies that fall foul of labor laws
Examples of fall foul of in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That will further drive usage and these companies are also unlikely to fall foul of regulation.
—
Sarah Kocianski, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Burnley’s Martin Dubravka became the first Premier League ’keeper to fall foul of that in their opening fixture away to Tottenham Hotspur.
—Cerys Jones, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
The Moscow Times reported that Smirnov appeared to fall foul of Putin shortly after the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk began.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
The 1958 there’s a risk United will fall foul of profit and sustainability rules (PSR).
—Chris Weatherspoon, The Athletic, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fall foul of
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Sarah Kocianski, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Burnley’s Martin Dubravka became the first Premier League ’keeper to fall foul of that in their opening fixture away to Tottenham Hotspur.
—Cerys Jones, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
The Moscow Times reported that Smirnov appeared to fall foul of Putin shortly after the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk began.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
The 1958 there’s a risk United will fall foul of profit and sustainability rules (PSR).
—Chris Weatherspoon, The Athletic, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fall foul of
Cite this Entry
“Fall foul of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fall%20foul%20of. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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