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

His publications were wildly popular, but he repeatedly ran afoul of Beijing.

From The Wall Street Journal

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

Countries that fear falling afoul of Western sanctions have been buying gold rather than dollars for their foreign-exchange reserves for several years.

From The Wall Street Journal

The problem was that the unusual setup ran afoul of NFL governance rules.

From The Wall Street Journal

George Simon, in his biography of the bandleader, reports that Miller ran afoul of a highly conservative senior officer who railed against the “newfangled sounds” that Miller’s men were producing.

From The Wall Street Journal