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
Plaintiffs in the lawsuit argued that the Trump administration ran afoul of federal law by unilaterally freezing the funding, which jeopardized lifesaving programs across the world.
—
David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025
The unions assert these limits on employees’ speech run afoul of state and federal laws.
—William Melhado, Sacramento Bee, 26 Feb. 2025
The Road Ahead: Committing to Inclusion in Uncertain Times
While the current political climate poses challenges, businesses that are truly committed to inclusion must find ways to maintain their efforts without running afoul of shifting policies.
—Jennifer Jay Palumbo, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
AfD was the first party to run afoul of those guardrails.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for afoul of
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David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025
The unions assert these limits on employees’ speech run afoul of state and federal laws.
—William Melhado, Sacramento Bee, 26 Feb. 2025
The Road Ahead: Committing to Inclusion in Uncertain Times
While the current political climate poses challenges, businesses that are truly committed to inclusion must find ways to maintain their efforts without running afoul of shifting policies.
—Jennifer Jay Palumbo, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
AfD was the first party to run afoul of those guardrails.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 24 Feb. 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 3 Mar. 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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