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
The firm, which was joined by JW Howard Attorneys, has brought federal complaints against major companies, including Starbucks, Morgan Stanley and BlackRock, arguing that corporate diversity and hiring practices run afoul of civil rights laws.
—
Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2025
Attorneys for a Maryland man mistakenly deported to a Salvadoran prison said the Trump administration has run afoul of a Supreme Court order by failing to even attempt to secure his return.
—Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 15 Apr. 2025
The documents take broad aim at practices such as training, employment resources group and fellowship programs, warning such programs — depending on how they’re constructed — could run afoul of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race and gender.
—Alexandra Olson and Claire Savage, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2025
But Illinois lawmakers have yet to provide one shred of evidence that any individual’s benefits fall afoul of the IRS rules.
—Ted Dabrowski, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 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.
Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2025
Attorneys for a Maryland man mistakenly deported to a Salvadoran prison said the Trump administration has run afoul of a Supreme Court order by failing to even attempt to secure his return.
—Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 15 Apr. 2025
The documents take broad aim at practices such as training, employment resources group and fellowship programs, warning such programs — depending on how they’re constructed — could run afoul of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race and gender.
—Alexandra Olson and Claire Savage, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2025
But Illinois lawmakers have yet to provide one shred of evidence that any individual’s benefits fall afoul of the IRS rules.
—Ted Dabrowski, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 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 30 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share