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
State lawmakers are considering increasing penalties for cities that run afoul of state housing laws.
—
Michael Slaten, Orange County Register, 16 May 2024
That could help the client avoid running afoul of emerging laws regulating bias in AI—lawmakers in at least seven states are considering proposals on the issue.
—John Kell, Fortune, 16 May 2024
More than 135 years later, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, a Republican, is warning university presidents that pro-Palestine protesters could run afoul of that same obscure law, turning minor trespassing violations into career-altering felonies.
—Jessie Balmert, The Enquirer, 15 May 2024
The commando, who's really handy with a knife, returns to her hometown, runs afoul of a violent gang, inherits her dad's bar and seeks the truth of what happened to him.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 15 May 2024
If convicted, Cosmos will be put to death, a very real fate for both wild and companion animals who run afoul of human rules — and one of the more acute aspects of the fraught animal-human relationship.
—Shannon L. Bowen, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 May 2024
Her purchase, the company said, might run afoul of a new Florida law that prohibits many Chinese citizens from buying property in the state, especially near military installations, airports or refineries.
—Patricia Mazzei, New York Times, 6 May 2024
Biden administration regulators have a number of high-profile cases winding through the courts that will test whether their efforts to toughen up scrutiny of M&A activity will run afoul of case law.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 24 Apr. 2024
Some in the West have found ways to limit encampments and even clear them out without running afoul of the 9th Circuit rulings.
—Jennifer Ludden, NPR, 22 Apr. 2024
Michael Slaten, Orange County Register, 16 May 2024
That could help the client avoid running afoul of emerging laws regulating bias in AI—lawmakers in at least seven states are considering proposals on the issue.
—John Kell, Fortune, 16 May 2024
More than 135 years later, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, a Republican, is warning university presidents that pro-Palestine protesters could run afoul of that same obscure law, turning minor trespassing violations into career-altering felonies.
—Jessie Balmert, The Enquirer, 15 May 2024
The commando, who's really handy with a knife, returns to her hometown, runs afoul of a violent gang, inherits her dad's bar and seeks the truth of what happened to him.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 15 May 2024
If convicted, Cosmos will be put to death, a very real fate for both wild and companion animals who run afoul of human rules — and one of the more acute aspects of the fraught animal-human relationship.
—Shannon L. Bowen, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 May 2024
Her purchase, the company said, might run afoul of a new Florida law that prohibits many Chinese citizens from buying property in the state, especially near military installations, airports or refineries.
—Patricia Mazzei, New York Times, 6 May 2024
Biden administration regulators have a number of high-profile cases winding through the courts that will test whether their efforts to toughen up scrutiny of M&A activity will run afoul of case law.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 24 Apr. 2024
Some in the West have found ways to limit encampments and even clear them out without running afoul of the 9th Circuit rulings.
—Jennifer Ludden, NPR, 22 Apr. 2024
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.
Dictionary Entries Near afoul of
Cite this Entry
“Afoul of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/afoul%20of. Accessed 21 May. 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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