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
AfD was the first party to run afoul of those guardrails.
—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 24 Feb. 2025
However, the group No Digital Billboards in San Jose has rejected the city’s rationale for moving forward with the deal, arguing the negative impacts to residents outweigh any prospective benefits and run afoul of the city’s goals.
—Devan Patel, The Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2025
The charge in Valparaiso wasn’t the first time Perryman had run afoul of the law, according to two documents The Post-Tribune received Friday evening.
—Michelle L. Quinn, Chicago Tribune, 22 Feb. 2025
LibsOfTikTok, an account Musk often boosts and that subjects unsuspecting, often LGBTQ TikTok users to abuse, has seemingly run afoul of the policy unpunished.
—Kristan Hawkins, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fall/run afoul of
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Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 24 Feb. 2025
However, the group No Digital Billboards in San Jose has rejected the city’s rationale for moving forward with the deal, arguing the negative impacts to residents outweigh any prospective benefits and run afoul of the city’s goals.
—Devan Patel, The Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2025
The charge in Valparaiso wasn’t the first time Perryman had run afoul of the law, according to two documents The Post-Tribune received Friday evening.
—Michelle L. Quinn, Chicago Tribune, 22 Feb. 2025
LibsOfTikTok, an account Musk often boosts and that subjects unsuspecting, often LGBTQ TikTok users to abuse, has seemingly run afoul of the policy unpunished.
—Kristan Hawkins, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 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 12 Mar. 2025.
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