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
But some experts say the effort could run afoul of federal law that prohibits paying people to persuade them to register to vote.
—
Isaac Avilucea, Axios, 21 Oct. 2024
Trying to claim income that wasn’t actually a tip as a tip would no doubt run afoul of the tax code anyway.
—Joe Moglia, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2024
Nvidia, meanwhile, has responded to the US actions by developing new China-specific chips that don’t run afoul of the US controls but don't exactly thrill the Biden administration either.
—Issie Lapowsky, WIRED, 10 Oct. 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.
—Elizabeth Both, NBC News, 2 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fall/run afoul of 
Isaac Avilucea, Axios, 21 Oct. 2024
Trying to claim income that wasn’t actually a tip as a tip would no doubt run afoul of the tax code anyway.
—Joe Moglia, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2024
Nvidia, meanwhile, has responded to the US actions by developing new China-specific chips that don’t run afoul of the US controls but don't exactly thrill the Biden administration either.
—Issie Lapowsky, WIRED, 10 Oct. 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.
—Elizabeth Both, NBC News, 2 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fall/run afoul of
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fall/run 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
“Fall/run afoul of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fall%2Frun%20afoul%20of. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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