run afoul of

Idioms

Also, run foul of. Come into conflict with, as in If you keep parking illegally you'll run afoul of the police. This expression originated in the late 1600s, when it was applied to a vessel colliding or becoming entangled with another vessel, but at the same time it was transferred to non-nautical usage. Both senses remain current.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Police said last week they were looking into the reports that Mountbatten-Windsor may have run afoul of laws governing conduct in a public office.

From The Wall Street Journal

During a two-hour hearing before the Senate Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, Sarandos told lawmakers the proposed merger would not run afoul of antitrust concerns and would, instead, “strengthen the American entertainment industry.”

From Los Angeles Times

But if they cede too much responsibility to AI, that could lead to deficiencies in critical regulations and run afoul of a requirement that federal rules be built on reasoned decision-making.

From Salon

Heavy use of electricity from diesel generators could raise concerns about the carbon emissions associated with that power in certain states or run afoul of Environmental Protection Agency rules.

From The Wall Street Journal

He had run afoul of the Federal Communications Commission’s regulations on broadcast content.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023