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
The verdict means more upheaval for Thailand’s already turbulent political landscape, in which those pushing for change have frequently run afoul of the establishment – a small but powerful clique of military, royalist and business elites.
—
Helen Regan, CNN, 14 Aug. 2024
Here are a few times when McDonald's merchandise ran afoul of lawmakers and safety advocates.
—John Tufts, The Courier-Journal, 15 Aug. 2024
The organization has been filing complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against major companies, including Morgan Stanley, Starbucks and McDonald’s, over corporate diversity and hiring practices that allegedly run afoul of civil rights laws.
—Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Aug. 2024
However, his proposal and/or increasing rainy day reserves run afoul of groups that believe the state should be spending more on support for poor Californians rather than setting more money aside.
—Dan Walters, Orange County Register, 9 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for afoul of 
Helen Regan, CNN, 14 Aug. 2024
Here are a few times when McDonald's merchandise ran afoul of lawmakers and safety advocates.
—John Tufts, The Courier-Journal, 15 Aug. 2024
The organization has been filing complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against major companies, including Morgan Stanley, Starbucks and McDonald’s, over corporate diversity and hiring practices that allegedly run afoul of civil rights laws.
—Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Aug. 2024
However, his proposal and/or increasing rainy day reserves run afoul of groups that believe the state should be spending more on support for poor Californians rather than setting more money aside.
—Dan Walters, Orange County Register, 9 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for afoul of
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.
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Cite this Entry
“Afoul of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/afoul%20of. Accessed 11 Sep. 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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