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
Keoni, a lawyer, makes sure their prints don’t run afoul of NFL, MLB and NCAA rules.
—
Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 11 Apr. 2025
Maddox does not make vague threats toward people who run afoul of him.
—Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 4 Apr. 2025
Everyone with opinions left of center or anyone who’d ever run afoul of the Red Scare communist purity-testers was targeted.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Under that section, McMahon is to pay special attention to any programs that might fall afoul of the administration’s earlier orders on diversity, equity and inclusion – or DEI – initiatives.
—Joshua Cowen, The Conversation, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fall/run afoul of
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Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 11 Apr. 2025
Maddox does not make vague threats toward people who run afoul of him.
—Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 4 Apr. 2025
Everyone with opinions left of center or anyone who’d ever run afoul of the Red Scare communist purity-testers was targeted.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Under that section, McMahon is to pay special attention to any programs that might fall afoul of the administration’s earlier orders on diversity, equity and inclusion – or DEI – initiatives.
—Joshua Cowen, The Conversation, 12 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 21 Apr. 2025.
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