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
Section 338 tariffs would likely run afoul of U.S. commitments to the World Trade organization and existing trade agreements.
—
Jill Goldenziel, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
As with many practices, however, the Trump administration has taken a distinctly different tack with Title VI, aggressively targeting the bottom lines of colleges and school districts that run afoul of its priorities, and at times flouting standard procedure.
—Troy Closson, New York Times, 30 May 2025
The White House argues that his actions in helping to lead campus protests against Israel's treatment of Palestinians run afoul of the president's order banning antisemitism.
—Sareen Habeshian, Axios, 19 May 2025
In recent months, the NIH has terminated grants that run afoul of the government’s positions on diversity and gender, and shut off funding to entire research universities.
—Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 20 May 2025
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Jill Goldenziel, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
As with many practices, however, the Trump administration has taken a distinctly different tack with Title VI, aggressively targeting the bottom lines of colleges and school districts that run afoul of its priorities, and at times flouting standard procedure.
—Troy Closson, New York Times, 30 May 2025
The White House argues that his actions in helping to lead campus protests against Israel's treatment of Palestinians run afoul of the president's order banning antisemitism.
—Sareen Habeshian, Axios, 19 May 2025
In recent months, the NIH has terminated grants that run afoul of the government’s positions on diversity and gender, and shut off funding to entire research universities.
—Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 20 May 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 6 Jun. 2025.
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