fall/run afoul of
idiom
chiefly US
: to get into trouble because of not obeying or following (the law, a rule, etc.)
After leaving home he fell afoul of the law.
an investor who has run afoul of stock market rules
Examples of fall/run afoul of in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Boss fights, which are heralded as one of the best aspects of the Metal Gear Solid games, also run afoul of issues.
—
Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 22 Aug. 2025
If Skydance offered a side deal of up to $20 million worth of advertisement or programming to President Trump in order to receive regulatory approval for the merger with Paramount, these actions would run afoul of federal and state anti-bribery statutes.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2025
Feng’s subjects are largely idealists who engage in activities that eventually run afoul of Xi’s increasingly repressive regime.
—Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025
In April, lawmakers passed new bipartisan social media regulations requiring platforms to better police themselves and to ban users who violate their terms of service or run afoul of state law.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fall/run afoul of
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 22 Aug. 2025
If Skydance offered a side deal of up to $20 million worth of advertisement or programming to President Trump in order to receive regulatory approval for the merger with Paramount, these actions would run afoul of federal and state anti-bribery statutes.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2025
Feng’s subjects are largely idealists who engage in activities that eventually run afoul of Xi’s increasingly repressive regime.
—Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025
In April, lawmakers passed new bipartisan social media regulations requiring platforms to better police themselves and to ban users who violate their terms of service or run afoul of state law.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fall/run afoul of
Cite this Entry
“Fall/run afoul of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fall%2Frun%20afoul%20of. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share