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
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When the two run afoul of local authorities and their young son is taken from them, a standoff ensues, leading to one of the largest and most dramatic sieges involving police and the FBI America has ever seen.
—
Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2025
When the two run afoul of local authorities and their young son is taken from them, a standoff ensues leading to one of the largest and most dramatic sieges America has ever seen.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 8 May 2025
Legal experts have said the inadvertent sharing of national defense information with The Atlantic reported added to the group would likely violate the Espionage Act, while the chat’s disappearing message function would also run afoul of public records laws.
—Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 5 Apr. 2025
The firm, which was joined by JW Howard Attorneys, has brought federal complaints against major companies, including Starbucks, Morgan Stanley and BlackRock, arguing that corporate diversity and hiring practices run afoul of civil rights laws.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fall/run afoul of
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Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2025
When the two run afoul of local authorities and their young son is taken from them, a standoff ensues leading to one of the largest and most dramatic sieges America has ever seen.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 8 May 2025
Legal experts have said the inadvertent sharing of national defense information with The Atlantic reported added to the group would likely violate the Espionage Act, while the chat’s disappearing message function would also run afoul of public records laws.
—Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 5 Apr. 2025
The firm, which was joined by JW Howard Attorneys, has brought federal complaints against major companies, including Starbucks, Morgan Stanley and BlackRock, arguing that corporate diversity and hiring practices run afoul of civil rights laws.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 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 19 May. 2025.
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