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
Ina Fassbender | Afp | Getty Images German antitrust regulators warned Amazon on Monday that the company's pricing mechanisms for third-party sellers could run afoul of competition laws.
—
Annie Palmer, CNBC, 2 June 2025
Section 338 tariffs would likely run afoul of U.S. commitments to the World Trade organization and existing trade agreements.
—Jill Goldenziel, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
There, Li befriends Mia (Sadie Stanley) and her father Victor (Joshua Jackson), who run a pizza joint and have run afoul of a loan shark, O’Shea (Tim Rozon) who also happens to run a mixed martial arts gym.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 30 May 2025
But the pair ran afoul of local authorities and, when their young son was taken from them, a police standoff ensued that would lead to one of the largest and most dramatic sieges America has ever seen.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for afoul of
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Annie Palmer, CNBC, 2 June 2025
Section 338 tariffs would likely run afoul of U.S. commitments to the World Trade organization and existing trade agreements.
—Jill Goldenziel, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
There, Li befriends Mia (Sadie Stanley) and her father Victor (Joshua Jackson), who run a pizza joint and have run afoul of a loan shark, O’Shea (Tim Rozon) who also happens to run a mixed martial arts gym.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 30 May 2025
But the pair ran afoul of local authorities and, when their young son was taken from them, a police standoff ensued that would lead to one of the largest and most dramatic sieges America has ever seen.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 8 May 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 8 Jun. 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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