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
Musk could fall afoul of federal laws That doesn’t mean Musk is entirely in the clear.
—
Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2024
The goal is to build AI tools to help artists create new music that doesn't run afoul of copyright, name and likeness rights, the companies said.
—Tim Baysinger, Axios, 28 Oct. 2024
Studying the dietary preferences of males like Orion, who often run afoul of humans while searching for territories, is especially vital.
—Ben Goldfarb, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024
Four nonpartisan tax experts told ProPublica and Documented that a political campaign event hosted by one charitable group, which is in turn funded by another charitable group, could run afoul of the ban on direct or indirect campaign intervention by a charitable organization.
—Andy Kroll, ProPublica, 18 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fall/run afoul of 
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Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2024
The goal is to build AI tools to help artists create new music that doesn't run afoul of copyright, name and likeness rights, the companies said.
—Tim Baysinger, Axios, 28 Oct. 2024
Studying the dietary preferences of males like Orion, who often run afoul of humans while searching for territories, is especially vital.
—Ben Goldfarb, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024
Four nonpartisan tax experts told ProPublica and Documented that a political campaign event hosted by one charitable group, which is in turn funded by another charitable group, could run afoul of the ban on direct or indirect campaign intervention by a charitable organization.
—Andy Kroll, ProPublica, 18 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fall/run afoul of
Dictionary Entries Near 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 8 Nov. 2024.
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