afoul

American  

[uh-foul] / əˈfaʊl /

adverb

1. in a state of collision or entanglement.

   a ship with its shrouds afoul.

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idioms

1. run / come / fall afoul of,

   1. to become entangled with.

      The boat ran afoul of the seaweed.

   2. to come into conflict with.

      The business had fallen afoul of the new government regulations.

afoul British  

/ əˈfaʊl /

adverb

1. (usually foll by of) in or into a state of difficulty, confusion, or conflict (with)

2. (often foll by of) in or into an entanglement or collision (with) (often in the phrase run afoul of )

   a yacht with its sails afoul

   the boat ran afoul of a steamer

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Etymology

Origin of afoul

An Americanism dating back to 1800–10; a- ¹ + foul

Example Sentences

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

From Los Angeles Times

Ella lives in the “state,” she runs afoul of the “party,” but skirting these details feels too timid.

From Los Angeles Times

Chinese rare-earth magnet companies are finding workarounds to their government’s onerous export restrictions, as they seek to keep sales flowing to Western buyers without falling afoul of Chinese authorities.

From The Wall Street Journal

Keeping the lesser charges in place risked running afoul of state laws that forbid “double jeopardy” or prosecuting a defendant twice for the same alleged crime, the Salehpours said the D.A. explained.

From Los Angeles Times

Visa has warned that the loophole runs afoul of the company’s rules.

From The Wall Street Journal