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
These offenses rank well down the list in the celebrated history of Dallas Cowboys players who run afoul of those pesky laws.
—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 July 2025
But those removals may run afoul of state and federal regulations for students with disabilities that enshrine their right to a free and appropriate education and protect them from discriminatory disciplinary actions.
—Rachel Wegner, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Patrick said such purchases, and the use of a smartphone app to engage a third-party to buy tickets, appears to run afoul of the 1991 that established the state lottery a year later.
—John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
Things get messy, though, when his ex (Jennifer Coolidge) and soon-to-be-a-dad son (Lewis Pullman) show up having run afoul of a crime boss (a dastardly Bill Murray) and his enforcer (Pete Davidson).
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 12 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for fall/run afoul of
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 July 2025
But those removals may run afoul of state and federal regulations for students with disabilities that enshrine their right to a free and appropriate education and protect them from discriminatory disciplinary actions.
—Rachel Wegner, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Patrick said such purchases, and the use of a smartphone app to engage a third-party to buy tickets, appears to run afoul of the 1991 that established the state lottery a year later.
—John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
Things get messy, though, when his ex (Jennifer Coolidge) and soon-to-be-a-dad son (Lewis Pullman) show up having run afoul of a crime boss (a dastardly Bill Murray) and his enforcer (Pete Davidson).
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 12 July 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 4 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share