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
Businesses that fail to adapt to these expectations not only risk running afoul of regulations but also eroding their relevance in the market.
—
Byron Fernandez, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024
Levi’s claims the defendants have committed both federal and state trademark infringement, as well as run afoul of federal counterfeiting laws.
—Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 20 Sep. 2024
Anaheim has hired its first ethics officer, a new position that’s tasked to ensure City Hall leaders and workers understand and don’t run afoul of conflict of interest and campaign laws.
—Michael Slaten, Orange County Register, 3 Sep. 2024
Several other Family Help & Wellness programs have run afoul of state regulations for failing to notify the state of critical incidents, such as those in which children were injured or allegedly abused, and preventing children from calling licensing agencies, among other violations.
—Tyler Kingkade, NBC News, 2 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for afoul of 
Byron Fernandez, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024
Levi’s claims the defendants have committed both federal and state trademark infringement, as well as run afoul of federal counterfeiting laws.
—Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 20 Sep. 2024
Anaheim has hired its first ethics officer, a new position that’s tasked to ensure City Hall leaders and workers understand and don’t run afoul of conflict of interest and campaign laws.
—Michael Slaten, Orange County Register, 3 Sep. 2024
Several other Family Help & Wellness programs have run afoul of state regulations for failing to notify the state of critical incidents, such as those in which children were injured or allegedly abused, and preventing children from calling licensing agencies, among other violations.
—Tyler Kingkade, NBC News, 2 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for afoul of
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'afoul of.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Afoul of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/afoul%20of. Accessed 6 Oct. 2024.
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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