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
Moreover, many investors attempt to offset losses through tax-loss harvesting but inadvertently fall afoul of the IRS’ wash-sale rule.
—
True Tamplin, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
The move alarmed those fighting to restore the agency — who stressed the destruction could run afoul of public records laws and hinder any efforts to rehire employees.
—Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 12 Mar. 2025
Creative thinking is going to be needed to find ways to do this that do not run afoul of environmental laws and other existing policies.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
The protest, originally scheduled to take place in Harvard Yard but moved so as not to run afoul of the new rules, seemed low-key.
—Nathan Heller, The New Yorker, 3 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.
True Tamplin, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
The move alarmed those fighting to restore the agency — who stressed the destruction could run afoul of public records laws and hinder any efforts to rehire employees.
—Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 12 Mar. 2025
Creative thinking is going to be needed to find ways to do this that do not run afoul of environmental laws and other existing policies.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
The protest, originally scheduled to take place in Harvard Yard but moved so as not to run afoul of the new rules, seemed low-key.
—Nathan Heller, The New Yorker, 3 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 31 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share