afoul of
preposition
1
: in or into conflict with
ran afoul of the law
2
: in or into collision or entanglement with
Examples of afoul of in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
These offenses rank well down the list in the celebrated history of Dallas Cowboys players who run afoul of those pesky laws.
—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 July 2025
Several Democratic lawmakers even raised concerns that a settlement might run afoul of anti-bribery laws.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 2 July 2025
Noem’s outside income may have run afoul of South Dakota law, according to Lee Schoenbeck, a veteran Republican politician and attorney who was until recently the head of the state Senate.
—Justin Elliott, ProPublica, 30 June 2025
That case finds Frank running afoul of a big bad played by Danny Huston.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 16 June 2025
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Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 July 2025
Several Democratic lawmakers even raised concerns that a settlement might run afoul of anti-bribery laws.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 2 July 2025
Noem’s outside income may have run afoul of South Dakota law, according to Lee Schoenbeck, a veteran Republican politician and attorney who was until recently the head of the state Senate.
—Justin Elliott, ProPublica, 30 June 2025
That case finds Frank running afoul of a big bad played by Danny Huston.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for afoul of
Cite this Entry
“Afoul of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/afoul%20of. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
afoul of
preposition1
: in or into collision or entanglement with
one ship ran afoul of the other
2
: in or into conflict with
they fell afoul of the law
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