run afoul of

Idioms  

1. 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.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

run afoul of

Warren also said that Bilt’s practice of immediately debiting rent payments may have run afoul of the 2009 Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act’s disclosure requirements for credit cards.

From Salon ● Sep. 1, 2026

Ahead of the game, the FAA warned drone operators that they could get their drone seized, face federal criminal charges and fines of up to $100,000 if they run afoul of these restrictions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 14, 2026

While both these approaches would almost certainly run afoul of labor laws, the new tax law has introduced a temptation that simply wasn’t there before.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 4, 2026

But some have run afoul of their duties.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 12, 2026

I hope you haven’t run afoul of too many of them.

From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland