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
Any legislation included in a reconciliation package must not run afoul of the Byrd Rule, which requires that all provisions have an impact on the deficit.
—
David Sivak, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 17 Dec. 2024
Mehmet Oz, the celebrity doctor named to oversee Medicare in the Trump administration, posted online endorsements of herbal products that threaten to run afoul of US marketing rules, according to a health watchdog.
—Bloomberg, Fortune, 4 Dec. 2024
Warren was suspended after pledging not to prosecute people accused of seeking or providing abortions or gender-affirming care, which would run afoul of state law.
—Cristóbal Reyes, Orlando Sentinel, 6 Nov. 2024
The Justice Department, which had warned Musk’s super PAC that its offer may run afoul of federal election law, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
—David Ingram, NBC News, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fall/run afoul of 
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David Sivak, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 17 Dec. 2024
Mehmet Oz, the celebrity doctor named to oversee Medicare in the Trump administration, posted online endorsements of herbal products that threaten to run afoul of US marketing rules, according to a health watchdog.
—Bloomberg, Fortune, 4 Dec. 2024
Warren was suspended after pledging not to prosecute people accused of seeking or providing abortions or gender-affirming care, which would run afoul of state law.
—Cristóbal Reyes, Orlando Sentinel, 6 Nov. 2024
The Justice Department, which had warned Musk’s super PAC that its offer may run afoul of federal election law, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
—David Ingram, NBC News, 4 Nov. 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 30 Dec. 2024.
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