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
In short, even people who are not Chinese citizens and live outside of Hong Kong can fall foul of the new legislation.
—
Ben Westcott, CNN, 3 July 2020
The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, which organizes the annual event, has been calling for an end to one-party rule, a slogan that may fall foul of the national security law.
—Eric Cheung, CNN, 6 May 2021
If Chinese firms fall foul of the Western legal system there will be consequences.
—Stephen Collinson, CNN, 27 Sep. 2021
The fulltime whistle had yet to be blown but the Tottenham manager stormed down the tunnel — his head down and hands in his pockets — after seeing his team fall foul of a handball ruling that has quickly become the biggest talking point of the Premier League season.
—Steve Douglas, Star Tribune, 27 Sep. 2020
Barca and Barca Athletic would not fall foul of Financial Fair Play regulations.
—Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2023
After posting the new policy, Twitter reversed course in equally dramatic fashion, pulling the new rules after strong pushback from users from across the political spectrum as well as suggestions from legal experts that the policy would fall foul of European competition laws.
—Abid Rahman, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Dec. 2022
Even the golden boy of slow cooking can fall foul of the moderator’s rules.
—Olivia Potts, Longreads, 17 Nov. 2022
Livestreamers can also easily fall foul of China's online censors.
—Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 23 June 2022
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Ben Westcott, CNN, 3 July 2020
The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, which organizes the annual event, has been calling for an end to one-party rule, a slogan that may fall foul of the national security law.
—Eric Cheung, CNN, 6 May 2021
If Chinese firms fall foul of the Western legal system there will be consequences.
—Stephen Collinson, CNN, 27 Sep. 2021
The fulltime whistle had yet to be blown but the Tottenham manager stormed down the tunnel — his head down and hands in his pockets — after seeing his team fall foul of a handball ruling that has quickly become the biggest talking point of the Premier League season.
—Steve Douglas, Star Tribune, 27 Sep. 2020
Barca and Barca Athletic would not fall foul of Financial Fair Play regulations.
—Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2023
After posting the new policy, Twitter reversed course in equally dramatic fashion, pulling the new rules after strong pushback from users from across the political spectrum as well as suggestions from legal experts that the policy would fall foul of European competition laws.
—Abid Rahman, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Dec. 2022
Even the golden boy of slow cooking can fall foul of the moderator’s rules.
—Olivia Potts, Longreads, 17 Nov. 2022
Livestreamers can also easily fall foul of China's online censors.
—Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 23 June 2022
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fall foul of.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Fall foul of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fall%20foul%20of. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.
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